Of Moms and Video Games
by BemnalTheFallen
Summary: This is a tale of forbidden love between a mother and son. A tale of Button Mash who delves into the new Virtual Reality game world of Pony Blade, unbeknownst to him, so does his mom. But then they decide to meet in real life; imagine their shock... this... is a tale of a love that endured bigotry and blossomed despite all odds.
1. Of Dreams and Reality

Of Moms and Video Games

This is a tale of forbidden love between a mother and son. A tale of Button Mash who delves into the new Virtual Reality game world of Pony Blade, but unbeknownst to him, so does his mother; their characters meet online, love and lust blossoms. But then they decide to meet in real life; imagine their shock... This... is a tale of a love that blossomed despite society's views.

***Disclaimer***

I do not own MLP FIM nor do I make any money off of it or have any connections to it, its producers, or benefactors. This is a work of fiction meant for entertainment.

***disclaimer***

***Warning***

Swearing.

Clop.

Drama.

Angst.

Mother/son incest.

***Warning***

OK. so basically the dozens of Button/Milano short story one shot clopfics inspired this along with that hilarious and cute fan-made episode of Button.

I searched a lot for some hot Mommy and Button action but came to find nothing but 1-7 thousand word single chapter one shots! And while yes they were very nice and well written and very very hot... I found the sheer short length... irritating...

And thus I decided to jump on the Button-Mom-Wincest band wagon with my own fanfiction; but i wanted to make a decent sexy/romance/drama that managed to drag out for at least 20,000 words minimum (as I personally don't consider a fanfiction to be a 'normal length' story unless it reaches the 20,000 bear minimum word count.)

And I wanted not only to have a bunch of dirty incestuous mother/son smut, but to also have a genuine plot (no pun intended) as well as an actual sense of mature romance; and of course, what good medium length wincest story doesn't have some drama and angst thrown in there?

As such, I decided to write Of Mothers and Video Games.

Enjoy.

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Chapter One, Of Dreams and Reality

-Reality is what you make it. Such a common and Clichéd term, but it holds more truth and virtue to it than most would care to admit. After all, isn't a dream reality? Whilst we dream we take everything that happens to us to be the simple truth of reality; that is, until we awaken and suddenly say 'it was just a dream' So then, what is a fantasy if not another reality? Perhaps our reality is merely what we choose it to be. So given the choice between a dream, a fantasy, and reality, what would you choose?- Excerpt From The Secret Book of Bemnal The Fallen.

Milano Mash entered the Ponyville apartment complex. Ascending the stairs she approached her and her son's simple two bedroom apartment. They'd been living there ever since she'd kicked her husband out of their old house. With a single mom's paycheck supporting two foals they simply couldn't keep up with the mortgage.

With a sigh, she pondered over the events upon recent years. They used to be so happy together... a lovely little family, husband, wife, two sons... big house, even had a dog. Just one big happy family.

But then she'd filed for divorce... it wasn't that she necessarily hated her ex husband, she just... wasn't happy with him anymore. That's normal right? Right?! Milano wasn't sure anymore... her eldest son certainly guilted her enough about it. Oh that wretched day... the argument to end all arguments. Days had passed by as Milano fell into a fit of depression; her husband, no... ex husband owned a carpenter company, they mostly fixed up old houses or built additions like decks and new basements.

But sadly, the old stallion wasn't very good at managing his business, he was lazy and had poor scholar skills, he'd meeked his way through high school before getting married, only to divorce five years later leaving a single mom with a son behind. Then he met Milano. Originally they were supposed to be a one night stand, just a simple bit of stress relief for the both of them.

Well, unfortunately, 7 ciders tended to make one less conscious about birth control, 5 months later Milano showed up at the stallion's door step with a swelling tummy. Guilted, the stallion married her and they settled down in a nice quaint little house. The colt was born, 4 years later they had Button Mash. They were actually a nice family for a few years...

But the stallion's poor business management began effecting their financial status. He got old and lazy, the jobs he did manage to get a hold of brought in a few thousand bits but such jobs were too few and far between. In the end Milano grew weary of her husband's foul attitude, anger issues, and in general, being a hopeless slob of a stallion. Their fight waged on for hours. Milano screamed, her husband yelled, she cried and he broke a few pieces of furniture. In the end they both slumped to the ground in the basement with tears in their eyes.

Hoof steps form above caused them to look up and spot their two foals. Button was crying while his brother silently glared.

A few days later the divorce was set into motion; eventually Milano's husband left. And there she was... a single mom raising two foals, the eldest of which blamed her every day for breaking their family apart, and he made sure that she knew it.

Constant bullying from her son mixed with the bills piling up pushed Milano into a fit of depression. They stayed with a family friend for a couple years during which Milano went through her midlife crisis. She wailed and cried nearly every day at how much she hated her life; she found solace in food; eventually packed on quite a few pounds which only furthered to lower her self esteem.

Button's older brother grew to the age at which he became an independent stallion and immediately left the household, refusing to take even a single bit from his mother to help support his new life. It was blatantly obvious that he never wanted to see her again.

Milano blamed herself for everything... her financial crisis... kicking her ex husband out... even her oldest son's brutish attitude...

Milano was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Things got somewhat better after that though, Milano and Button moved into a fourplex apartment. A large building set up with four cozy apartments all stacked together like a giant house. It was surprisingly nice, the neighbors were kind and polite, and thankfully quiet much to Milano's relief. She got onto a diet plan and dropped a lot of pounds, though she still kept a bit of a pudgy stomach and just the slightest bit of a jiggly rump much to her dismay.

As for Button, he hadn't changed much; though she did finally convince him to stop wearing that silly hat. Button always took so long to learn real life skills... he didn't know how to operate a pony bike until he was ten, and didn't learn how to swim until he was twelve. Although Milano was fairly worried about his athletic health due to the ungodly amount of junk food he ate as he wasted away in front of that 'idiot' box as he'd come to refer to his large game system as. But those were somewhat sated when he took up quite a few athletic classes in school for his electives, she was honestly surprised at how much he enjoyed sports; though Button himself attributed it to himself simply being overly competitive due to his years of gaming. He didn't like to lose. At anything.

At this revelation Milano was somewhat relieved, perhaps her son was't as hopeless as his father after all, he certainly had the drive to get off his lazy flank and do stuff; by the time he was 16 he was elected as both the vice president of the Martial Arts club in his high school as well as a team captain in the Dungeons and Ponies club.

All in all, Button was taking on responsibilities in his life and giving honest effort to them; sure the actual responsibilities themselves may have been immature by Milano's reckoning, but still, it was good to see him growing up.

Though some things never change... he still spent 100% of his free time in front of that 'idiot box' playing games that she was sure weren't even written in Equestrian. This was obviously cause for concern, he never spent any time with his 'friends' which she was about 80% convinced didn't even exist. Sure he knew ponies from the clubs he was involved in but he never brought them over other than for some drawn out D&P meetings, and he didn't spend any time with them. He never went to a friend's house, he never had any sleep overs... she was beginning to wonder if he was antisocial...

Now at the age of 17, the only pony he really spend any amount of time with was Sweetie Belle, but that was mostly spent at the arcade or in SCC getting brain freeze. Still, at least he had a genuine friend whom he genuinely hung out with on occasion.

Milano sighed as he trotted up the stairs to her apartment door NO. 3.

Sliding her hoof into her 'pocket' on the side of her flank, she pulled out her key and unlocked the door. It still amazed her sometimes at how she could manipulate objects without strait up touching them.

All of the three pony races had their own special brand of magic. Telekinesis was the universal ability that tied all the races together. Unicorns could channel it through their horns in a whip-like tendril that could causally move around multiple objects. Pegasi could use it to allow them flight despite their weight and walk on clouds or even manipulate the weather. As for Earth Ponies? Their telekinesis lied within their hooves; they could channel it out from the edge of the hoof to form invisible 'fingers' as Lyra so aptly named them. Though all ponies had this ability, none rivaled the skill of the Earth Ponies, their 'fingers' were the most dexterous and strongest; they could also seep the magic from their hooves into the earth and sort of pour their live force into it to grant the soil heightened fertility and even make plants grow at an accelerated rate with much more nutrients and flavor than they'd ever be capable of on their own.

Unlocking the door; she made her way in and took note of her son dominating the living room area with his Game Station 2000. Why on Equis did she buy him that thing? 'Oh ya, because I'm a push over who can't say no, that's why' she thought bitterly to herself. She'd been so authoritative when she was younger. But after everything that happened...

"*sigh* there's just no motivation anymore..." Milano mumbled.

It was true, she'd become somewhat complacent and rarely said no to any of her son's requests. He wasn't spoiled though, he rarely asked for anything and when he did it was always the same thing; a game. Or a game console, though he usually only asked for those on birthdays.

It was as if he purposely spread out the space between requests specifically so that it wouldn't seem like she was spoiling him. And Milano was about 75% sure that this was intentional. Button was a lot smarter than ponies took him for; especially when it came to strategy and manipulating other ponies. Bit of a dark talent but he merely waved it off as 'charisma' And while it was true that he didn't have many close friends, he had become fairly popular.

Well... as long as he kept his grade up she supposed... which he did; despite his obsessive gaming habit, he always made sure to get his homework done and study just enough to slide by with a 2.9 GPA not terrific but not bad either.

Button himself sat in the living room holding his controller with an earpiece headset. Sometimes the sheer speed at which he pressed the buttons amazed Milano, he never once paused to look down at the controller just to check if he was pressing the correct button corresponding to the command he sought. The hoof eye coordination required for such a feat baffled Milano. She'd tried playing one of those things with him once. Monkey Kong if she remembered right; but it was a much different version that what she remembered, this one wasn't a 2D plat-former, this was a 3 dimensional free roam and she was immediately overwhelmed by the complexity.

"HOW DO YOU EVEN HOLD THIS THING?!" she'd yelled as she stared at the five handles sticking out from the base of the controller. Honestly, why would you need five handles when you only have two hooves?!

Milano shook her head with a silent groan. The apartment was a fairly nice one; once you walked in from the front door; you entered the living room. To your right would be the TV plus two couches. A large double window and a soft carpet.

If you continued forward you'd see the dining area with a hardwood floor, a nice sizable dining table that Milano's mother had left her. Going into the dining room you could turn left to see one of those tiny little apartment kitchens, you know the ones with hardly any space between the fridge and sink? At least there was a window... there was also a double window and an AC unit on the was on the wall opposite the entry way.

Turning way from the Dining area and walking back towards the Living room, you could turn right to see a short hallway leading to Milano's room, the master bedroom. Standing in front of the door you could turn left to see another small hallway attached to the previous forming and "L" at the end of which was the small and simple bathroom with a shower/bathtub hybrid. To the right was Button's room, and to the left was the universal closet with a sliding wooden door where all their coats were stored.

Milano sighed yet again as she opened her son's room up only to be hit with the musk of teenage colt; a mixture of sweat, B.O., and ejaculate all coalescing into a single scent that was identifiable uniquely as Button's. "Ugh! Button! I told you to clean your room! It stinks in here!" she chargined as she stomped in and picked up random bits of clothing before tossing them into Button's hamper. It was the middle of Autumn and the air was beginning to fill chill; and with the cold came the necessity for clothing.

Looping her tail through the handle holds on the hamper, she dragged it out of her son's room.

"It's gonna smell like that no matter what I do!" Button yelled back distractedly.

Milano scowled at the far wall end of the hallway as she made her way towards her own room, "not if you actually CLEAN it once and a while and let it air out!" she shot back before entering her own room and dumping the clothes into her own hamper. That task done, she took her own hamper and dragged it out into the living room; "and I'm missing some silverware, do you have any in your room?"

"No, I don't eat in my room." Button grumbled back as he began mashing one of the buttons on his controller; he was currently in a four way campaign online with Sweetie Belle, Pip, and Scootaloo as they did their best to fight off the swarm of Taekerack Daemns from the nether realms of Karashtz. Playing for 9 hours straight they'd at least put a minor dent in the quest line of their fantasy game. At last they killed the last of the Taekerack Daemns only for the floor boss Kiritotsu to appear.

"Yes! We finally made it!" Pip exclaimed; it was true, they'd lost their entire party at least... what... four times on this quest?

Milano rolled her eyes as she headed back to the hallway to fish around in the closet for the laundry soap and washer machine card. She idly wondered how much money was left on he card; it would certainly be annoying to head down to the laundry room only to discover that she had less than a bit left on the card.

"hmm..." she headed into her room and tossed 20 bits into her flank pocket just to be on the safe side. Heading back out she heard her son barking orders to the other players as he set them up for what he called, 'attack formation Beta' whatever that meant. During which she gave a sad smile at his voice; no longer the crackly high pitched tone that it used to be when he was younger. When he hit puberty... well... he hit PUBERTY! His voice dropped at least an octave and carried a lot of deep vibration to its tone, it sounded strong mature; it actually reminded her a lot of his father. Sadly he was also growing up to look like his father as well, she at least hoped he wouldn't start acting like him too; that certainly wouldn't be acceptable.

As she was about to leave the room, Button's character attacked Kiritotsu with a confuse spell only for it to bounce off with a notice popping up saying '95% immunity to magic'

"BULLSHIT!" Button screemed at the top of his lungs.

"Button! language!" Milano chastized, but her son ignored her.

"What the hell is that! What's the point of being a Wizard if the only time you actually need Controller spells the frickin' boss is immune to everything?! This is Bullshit!" she took his headset off and tossed it at the TV.

"BUTTON!" Milano shouted with a deep scowl on her face.

Button crossed his arms and grumbled as he fumed. Through the TV Sweetie's voice sounded out, "Raaage quiiiit~" she sang out mockingly.

"Shut up!" Button yelled back in a comedic none serious tone.

Milano sighed, she didn't have time for this; she'd had a stressful day at work. Without another word, she left the apartment and headed downstairs to the laundry room; within she tossed the clothes inside and stuck the card in; luckilly there was still 7 bits left. She sighed in appreciation.

This was really the only usefulness she really contributed anymore or so she felt. She remembered back when she used to make home cooked meals for the whole family... now she was on her special diet food while her son lived off of microwaveable crap like frozen burritos, pizza rollers, and PB&J sandwiches; and he was starting to form a pot belly of his own from his poor eating habits despite the exercise he got from sports classes and the martial arts club.

But... what could she do? As unhealthy as those foods were, they were cheap and Button wasn't complaining about them so... yet she could pay a little extra for her own diet food? She gave yet another sigh; heading back upstairs she found her son laying back against the couch as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

"You know, you still could've healed us; you didn't have to just give up."

"Wizard healing spells are nothing compared to a Cleric's I wouldn't have made a difference believe me I would know..."

He rubbed his face with his hooves as Milano walked by, "hey mom? Can you take me to the to Joystop? I have to pick up something I pre ordered."

Milano inwardly grumbled and thought about her answer... oh who was she kidding, it's not like she had anything better to do. What? Go online to the dating site to look for somepony only to find 50 year old fat ugly stallions looking for a one night stand? Go into her room and do crossword puzzles for three hours?

"Dear gods I need a life..." she whispered to herself.

"What?" Button's ears perked up.

"Oh nothing... yes sure, just let me get dressed..." Milano replied before heading into her room and slapped on a thick brown turtle neck and some jeans on her hind legs. Button was already wearing grey plaid pajama bottoms and a black zip up hoodie around the upper half of his body.

Milano frowned when he stood by the door ready to go. "You're not going out in your pajamas, put some pants on." she said sternly with a deadpan.

Groaning, Button trudged into his room and slipped into some black jeans before meeting his mom looking like a goth colt; only adding to the effect were the thick dark circles around his eyes which had only grown in circumference since his foalhood due to a fierce lack of sleep. He tended to be play until 12 or 1 in the morning before getting around 4-6 hours of sleep pending.

Speaking of sleep, as they hopped into the Wyvern drawn carriage, Button gave a long loud yawn before blinking in a daze.

"Button, you should really get some more sleep."

"mmm." was his only response.

Eventually they arrived at the Joystop store and immediately Button hopped out and rushed into the store; Milano followed behind in a lazy gait, inside she saw a few other mothers with their foals rushing around the store; particularly there was a large group of young stallions crowding around the register along with Button, presumably picking up their own pre ordered copies of... whatever it was they were getting.

Milano sat down on a bench nearby along with a trio of other mothers who looked just as depressed and bored as she did. 'Well... consolation points for not being the only one I guess' Milano thought with a rueful smile.

Either way, Button got his game along with a rather large box that she needed to help him carry into the carriage; "what IS all this?" Milano asked as they finally got the box inside the cart.

"The pre-order came with all of the hardware needed to play it. You need virtual reality helmets to play it."

Milano frowned, "that sounds expensive..."

"OH ya, like 2,000 bits I think." Button said with a coy smile.

"WHAT?!" Milano exclaimed while jumping into the air and falling on her tummy with her legs sprawled out.

"Hahahaha! Ohhhh that was great..." Button laughed, "no I won a raffle for beta-testing, I got all the equipment for free and the game itself. Anypony who got to level 75 or higher before the beta-testing was finished got a free copy of the finished version plus the new edition of the helmet compatible with any game system." he explained.

Milano didn't look amused at the prank he'd played.

Groaning to herself; Milano hopped into the carriage and grabbed the Wyvern's tethering. After a few minutes they arrived at home. Once inside, Button immediately began setting up his new game system. Now that Milano got a good look at it, she noticed did take notice of the vast similarity between the two virtual reality helmets; both the one her son was currently setting up and the one in front of the computer.

"Hmm, but do you really need two Button?" she inquired.

"Naw, that old one only works for computers, this one's convertible to all game systems; I can just sell the old one on F-Bay or something." Button replied as he fumbled around with his new device.

"Hmm." Milano responded before heading out the door and down into the laundry room and pulled out her laundry card as she dumped all the clothes into the drier and started it up.

Heading back upstairs she saw her son sighing as he headed to his room, "what's wrong honey?"

"I forgot that it takes like 8 hours to calibrate to whatever system it's connected to." he responded making no effort to hide his agitation.

Milano shrugged, heck, when she was a filly it took several hours just for a computer to turn on!

After sitting down to watch TV she stared at the loading screen of Button's game, "Button! You're thing's still on!"

"USE THE REMOTE MOM!" he yelled back from his room.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT BUTTON TO PUSH!" she yelled equally as loud. And she wanted peace and quiet...

"UGH! VIDEO INPUT, HDM2!"

Milano stared blankly at the remote control... The only buttons she understood were channel up, channel down, volume, power, and channel numbers. yet collectively those didn't even make up half of the buttons on the remote.

"... W-WHERE'S 'INPUT'?"

"Oh for Luna's sake..." Button mumbled as he marched out of his room, into the living room and snatched the remote from his mother before stetting the TV from AVI to Cable. "You should really learn how to operate this thing." he chastised as he handed the remote back to a frowning Milano, "don't get smart with me." she warned.

"Gee, thanks for the appreciation for helping you out! I see how it is, just a slave driver huh?!" he said jokingly and they both began to laugh.

After an hour, Milano took the laundry out and folded it up. Button ate a frozen pizza while Milano had her regimented diet food which always left her hungry afterwards. She hated it when Button asked for treats and snacks since Milano would always eat them up if he didn't hide them. She just couldn't resist! The chocolate called to her like a hypnotic spell...

The next day came; Button got up and headed to school, Milano headed off to work... oh yes... boring... simple... monotonous work... There was a time that she'd loved such things but now... she didn't know... it just... lost a lot of its flare.

Now a days it seemed that the only reason she went to work was to keep the bits rolling in. She worked at the Ponyville hospital in the maternity ward as a nurse tending to newborns as well as caring for sick hospitalized foals.

Milano went through the motions but she didn't put her heart into it like she used to. Was this really her life now? Was this her reality? Get up, go to work, care for sickly children, go home, yell at Button for playing games too much and swearing, check her profile on the dating site, do some crosswords or laundry if it piled up, and go to bed. Wake up, rinse and repeat.

The only breaks were holidays and family member birthdays; aside from that the only breaks she had in her admittedly boring life were dates set up from the site. She headed towards one such date after work. Ah yes, meeting with a stallion outside a restaurant; at least the weather is nice... Ah and here's the prestigious Caramel now... hmm, at least the profile pic was acurate this time...

Introductions were pleasant enough, then they ordered food; he ate like a slob which was rather off putting but Milano was more than used to poor table manners credit of her son. They had some idle chat about their jobs and a few hobbies. Then somehow the topic trailed to ex's which was a topic singles should never tread upon. Yet here they were! And apparently Caramel's bisexual! Well, isn't that interesting? Certainly didn't put THAT little detail in your profile...

The conversation went south as he broke down crying, apparently distraught over his ex coltfriend dumping him. Milano sighed in annoyance, sometimes the ponies on those dating sights weren't really looking for a new companion, they just wanted somepony to talk to. Well Milano already had one colt to fuss over, she sure as Tartarus wasn't going to be this stallion's shoulder to cry on!

Milano idly called for the check and left in a foul mood. She walked aimlessly around town before finding herself in front of a random store. Hoping that some random shoping would take her mind off things, she headed inside to see that she'd walked into Joystop.

"Oh great..." Milano sighed, just a giant reminder of her game obsessed son. How did her life get to this point? Single mother living in an apartment with all mirth drained from her life?

...

...

"Hello miss? Can I help you?"

Milano jumped at the voice, she turned to see one of the store keeps, "oh, um, sorry, I was just thinking..." she trailed off.

"Oh well, if you need any help finding anything, just let me know!" the stallion chirped before trotting behind the counter.

'Can you help me find my purpose in life?' Milano thought melancholy. And here comes yet another fit of depression; 'stupid pills... instant relief my ass...' her thoughts omited forth her grouchy demeanor upon her apparently useless medication. Milano was on at least three different emotional disorder pills; an anti depressant, an anti anxiety, and finally a mood stabilizer.

Milano's eyes fell upon one of the many games in front of her:

PONY BLADE! Become another pony, take your life into your own hooves and forge your own reality of excitement and power! Be whoever you want to be and live whatever life you want to live!

Milano chuckled, 'if only.' she thought as she picked the game up in one hoof. The cover held pictures of various different anthromorphic ponies wielding unrealistic weapons or hurling spells at monsters; flipping it over, she saw the back of the game giving details:

Utilizing the new Virtual Reality Helmets of Lunar Gamer Inc. Pony Blade allows you to immerse yourself in a new world enjoying all the sensations of the real pony body, smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch, pleasure, and pain. Set up in an AD&P combat system with 21 available classes. Experience what it's like to be another pony race entirely! Fly through the skies as a Pegasus or cast magic as a Unicorn or wield the physical might, speed, and endurance of an Earth Pony!

Milano recognized AD&P from her son's club, Advanced Dungeons and Ponies. According to Button it was an ironic name since it was apparently simpler than the original editions as it played more on realism rather than sheer power.

For a moment... Milano vaguely understood her son's fascination with video games. Wouldn't it be nice to live in another world? To be somepony else? To have a different reality?

...

...

To have a different reality... one where you weren't a single mother living paycheck to paycheck... one where you didn't have a mediocre job with which you'd grown weary of... one where you weren't constantly sifting through horrible dates and false profile pics... one where you could be whoever you wanted to be. And best of all, one where you actually had some control over your life for once...

...

Admittedly... it did seem tempting...

"You finding everything alright?" The stallion from before asked.

Milano didn't quite register what she'd said next until she'd spoken it, "is there a computer version of this?"

"Oh absolutely!" the stallion walked over to the PC game section and picked a copy of Pony Blade off the wall, "here you go, do want me to ring it up?"

Milano stared silently at the game for a few moments before slowly nodding, "ya... ya..."

And so Milano drove the carriage home with a coppy of Pony Blade wondering what she was thinking... When she arrived at her apartment, she entered to see that Button hand't come home yet, probably at one of his two clubs still, it was Friday after all.

Heading into her room, Milano tossed the game onto her bed before heading out and grabbing the older VRH (virtual reality helmet) from the dining table as well as the laptop and bringing both into her room; she hooked up the charger to the wall since she predicted that this would undoubtedly be a huge drain on the laptop's battery.

"Honestly... 49.99... where do they get off charging that much for a game? And you still have to pay a subscription of 24.99 a month! Grumbling to herself about 'this better be worth it' Milano thought bitterly before loading everything up. Thankfully the VRH had already been calibrated for the laptop so alls she had to... do... was... hook... it... up...

Milano stared blankly at the dozens of cords.

"... ... ... ... ... I don't get it... ... ... ..."

Two hours of reviewing the manual later...

Button stepped through the front door of his house and flipped his game on; he fished around his saddlebags for a slip of paper and a pencil which he knew he'd bee needing. Thankfully beta-testing let him know everything he needed to know. He revved up his Game Station and popped Pony Blade in. After logging in he opened up the start menue and blazed through all the tutorial menue help until he arrived at the character screen.

He'd already decided on what race and class he wanted, and he DEFFINITELY wasn't going to be a mage. What's the point of being a magic user if a boss can just 'suddenly be immune to magic! Surprise!' Frickin bullshit is what it is... not to mention enemy mages were damn near invincible while his own magic user could hardly do anything before he got skewered and died.

Well not this time!

XXXXX

After finally getting through the tutorial, Milan was ready to make her character, she chose her race as a Pegasus, wondering if she truly could experience flight in this 'virtual reality' game. As for a class... she had no idea what to do so she just randomly selected Samurai.

XXXXX

Button thought long and hard about his class choice, he was having trouble deciding between Kensei and barbarian... hmm... super offense or supper defense?

hmm... choosing one's class was no small matter, this choice would determine the career path of one's entire character and in some cases was the most important aspect of who they were, not to be taken lightly. After all, it's not like you'd just randomly pick a class right? That'd be silly.

Button laughed as he chose Kensei. For his race he'd decided to go with Earth Pony for the strength and constitution bonuses.

XXXXX

Milan reached the stats menu, from what she gathered, you clicked on the dice roller and all your stats were randomly rolled, if you didn't like them then you could reroll however, this would cause every single stat to be re-rolled. Shrugging, Milano rolled and went with the first set of stats that popped up, 16 Str. 15 Dex. 10 Con. 9 Int. 15 Wis. 9 Cha. Milano had no idea what constituded as good or bad stats so she shrugged and clicked 'OK'

XXXXX

Button grabbed the slip of paper, ah, here was the second most important part, one's stats. The major determining factor in one's abilities until they reached particularly high levels. Deciding that he wanted to go pure offensive he wrote down 18.50 Str. as a bear minimum followed by an 18 Dex since he was of course a Kensei, and then a 16 Con for some nice hitpoint bonuses; the rest he could care less about.

He rolled the stats, a 14 Str? No thank you! 17? Not high enough. 18. 55? Hmm... 15 Dex? Eenope! 18.87 Str?! 17 Dex... 18 Con!

Hmm... sure he didn't have the 18 Dex but still... 18.87 strength was nothing to laugh at... plus with 18 Constitution he'd get a +4 to hitpoints per level! Ya... this might just work!

The rest of his stats were 10 Int. 15 Wix. and 7 Cha. Ouch... even if Cha. wasn't important for anything other than interacting with NPCs... still... that was almost embarrassing...

"Oh well, NPCs can kiss my overpowered ass."

He clicked 'OK'

XXXXX

Milano sifted through the rest of the pre-requisites, some non-weapon proficiencies which Milano had surmised were basically non-combat skills like wyvern riding, smiting, and such. Then there was her weapon selection. Looking for the highest numbers she found the 1d10 weapons. Two such weapons available were the Katana and Naginata.

From what she remembered of world history class, the female samurai generally used Naginata right? Or was it females in Samurai clans? Oh who cares, Katanas are over rated anyway! She clicked on the Naginata.

XXXXX

For weapon selection, Button knew he was going to go for a one handed weapon if only because it would allow dual wielding. Granted with dual wielding you had to have a smaller weapon in your off hand, however! Kensei, Samurai, Monks, Rangers, and Barbarians could dual wield two weapons of the same side provided they're one handed.

And here's the wonderful thing about katanas... they deal the 1d10 damage of a two handed weapon but can be used in either one or two hands. Ya sure with a 17 Dex he'd have to pay a -1/-2 dual wielding penalty but as he leveled up that'd hardly make a difference.

If you were any of those classes, you'd have to be an idiot to turn down a Katana.

XXXXX

Then came the character design... as well as her name... Milano actually took the time to think this one out... after all, wasn't the whole point of this to be who you wanted to be? Well then...

After some consideration... and some good long hard thought... she decided upon a character name: Amaterasu. Once again thinking back to her old studies from school; in ancient texts form the ruined cities of the now extinct Humans, there were tales of various different religions; many of which didn't make sense to ponies such as a god that held no physical form and existed within everything and nothing. Then there were the scary incestuous and blood thirsty gods that ruled over the sky, ocean, and underworld.

And then there were the mysterious ones like Amaterasu. The texts of the Shinto religion were nearly burned as they spoke of her as 'the goddess of the sun' being that Celestia currently held that position they texts were regarded as blasphemous. But they were still preserved as historical documents of a long since forgotten era.

But the tales of Amaterasu always fascinated her; the goddess of the sky, a scion of fertility and motherhood; loving and kind yet stern and strong willed; compassionate but not afraid to raise violence to protect her children. Surrounded by her powerful fanatic zealot divine war hounds, the Ókami who protected the Humans from the demonic beasts of the wild and the servants of her brother Tsukuyomi and acted as Amaterasu's personal bodyguards.

For her appearance, she chose her coat and mane to be snow white; her mane's style held long thick waves and a few slight curls hanging around her head and shoulders with the bangs parted in a wavy style trailing back and down the rear of her shoulders.

Eyes of pure crimson lacking any differentiation between pupil and iris.

It was strange looking at this anthromorphic version of herself with different colors and flaring white wings...

black samurai splint mail was provided for her with a kimono covering most of it up. She played with the color scheme of the robe and made it pure white with red trims and flaring red lotus blossoming along the material with a red belt keeping the kimono secure. Satisfied, she gave a smile and got ready to enter the game.

XXXXX

Button pondered over his name before deciding on something apparently bad ass by his own opinion. He figured he'd role play as a mercenary for hire, acting as a sort of bodyguard to any party that wanted to take him on.

Thinking on significant guardians throughout mythology he took a few minutes to ponder. Creating a character concept was always very important to Button and was not something you just randomly decided on. At last something stuck in his mind. The Ókami. Ya... Ókami.

He typed that in as his name and set about making his character design. Sticking with the concept, he gave his Earth Pony a snow white coat and a sleek long silvery mane hanging in a long curtain down his back with medium bangs reaching to just above his eyebrows. He then edited in a long red streak from the tip of his left bang back to the back of his head and down to the tip of the curtain of mane.

Staying in the spirit of the wolf, he gave himself a golden amber eye color with dark black pupils and finally got himself a snow white kimono with a red trim. But then he thought on it for a while he decided to opt out for the kimono and instead chose to go bear chested with a pair of thick baggy hokaima pants.

Being a kensei, he didn't need armor as he received natural bonuses to AC as he leveled up.

Setting the two Katanas on his hip, he got ready to enter the game.

Both Button and Milano put their VRHs on and activated the link start.

A bizarre rushing feeling flooded their senses as they were sent forth into the gameworld.

XXXXX

Milano opened her eyes slowly and blinked as the sound of chirping birds caused her ears to twitch, she realized then that she was lying on her back; sitting up she looked around... she was nearly overwhelmed at the realization; this really was a whole other world! Looking down, Milano frowned a bit at her hands; the feeling was bizarre, sure Earth Ponies had their telekinetic fingers but having solid flesh was... weird...

Milano then stood up shakily; she hadn't walked around on two legs since tennis in high school. But fortunately for her, this new body was designed especially for bi-pedal movement and allowed her muscle memory to quickly adapt.

Soon she was walking around on her new hooves; it felt strange seeing the ground so far down from her face; she felt like a giant! Opening her nasal passages, she inhaled the flower pollen and fresh grass scent around her, amazing! Milano was utterly baffled by how much realize this video game could capture!

Studying everything in sight, she idly felt the pole-arm in her right arm, turning she saw the long red pole with it's curved sword upon the end and a tied on red sash flowing out along the hilt of the blade. Milano frowned slightly, she'd never used a weapon in her life nor had she so much as held one...

Taking it in both hands, she gave a few experimental swings, it felt heavy, very heavy but at the same time she felt like she could put out more than enough strength to swing it as much as she wanted...

Shrugging, she walked on until she encountered a wild boar... it spotted her and snorted before scuffing the ground threateningly.

"Huh?" Milano furrowed her brow. Suddenly a giant screen popped up informed of her scaring the daylights out of the poor mare: ENCOUNTER! WILD BOAR LV. 1 HP:2 AC: 10 ATTACK: ?

Milano blinked... "... ... ... I don't get it... ... ... ..."

AMATERASU'S TURN!

Milano blinked, "o-oh right! Um..." Not knowing what else to do, she lifted her weapon and charged at the thing with an inexperienced war cry that would make a pacifist facehoof in shame. Her blade landed on the pig only to bounce off "bwuah?!" Milano exclaimed. Being forced back a few steps from the recoil, another screen popped up: ATTACK ROLL= 7 MISS!

Milano once again blinked, "... ... ... ... I don't get it.. ... .. ..."

WILD BOAR'S TURN!"

"W-wait what?! I-I'm not ready!"

The pig charged at her squealing as it bared its tusks. Milano tried to move but found her hooves literally frozen in place, a warning window popped up in her field of vision: IT'S NOT YOUR TURN!

Milano blinked yet again, "SO WHAT! I DON'T WANNA DIE! WHY CAN'T I JUST RUN OR SOME-EEP!"

Milano was tackled to the ground, another window popped up showing her stats: HP: 5/8 AC: 5 ATTACK: +0 1-10 +1 1/1

Milano didn't really understand any of that except for HP: and sort of AC:, she new HP was hitpoints so she was injured, but AC Armor Class confused her, wasn't she supposed to have a high number? OH right... in AD&P a lower AC is better than higher cause it counts down instead of up... what jerk invented THAT logic?

Milano shook her head and stood back up. AMATERASU'S TURN! Milano rushed forward this time trying to stab the thing, it merely side stepped causing her to trip and land in the grass.

"Wha?! That's not fair!" Milano cried dismally.

WILD BOAR'S TURN!

Milano panicked as the pig tackled her prone body, "What?! I can't even get up?! Ack!" the pick slammed into her but was knocked back. Milano blinked, her hitpoints were still the same but the pig hadn't missed so...

"It... bounced off the armor I guess?" Milano shook her head and got back up as it was her turn again. Turning to face the pig, she glared, now she was downright angry... she lifted her naginata and ran at the creature with a genuine roar before bringing her blade down on the Boar's head and splitting it open. Milano cried in shock and horror as the blood and brain matter spewed forth onto her blade and a tiny bit onto her kimono.

"W-w-wha?!" her hands shook, "i... I... k-killed it... I killed it!" she confirmed in horror. Her vision shook as she stared at the bloody gore on her weapon... this... this game was too real... too realistic... she wanted to have fun and adventure, not murder animals!

Suddenly the pig exploded into a burst of crystalline shards and with it, so did the blood leaving her as clean as a pure lilly.

Milano's eye twitched in incomprehension, "I-buh-gwah-alright..." this was more confusing than when Button's toy train had spontaneously burst into flames.

CONGRATULATIONS! 80 XP!

Milano still stared at where the pig's copse had so recently lay...

A slow mocking clap caught her attention, she turned to see an ivory Earth Pony, shirtless with two Katanas with their sheaths attached to his hip situated through the cloth belt.

"Wow... bravo... I have to say, bravo... I don't think I've ever seen a more pathetic sight in all my years of MMORPG and that's saying something, bra-vo!" he chided as he walked up to Milano.

The mare glared at the stallion, "I'd like to see you do better asshole!" she shot back. She'd just hat a traumatic experience and now this jerk had the gall to make fun of her?! FUCK him!

The stallion shrugged before pulling out one of his Katanas and looking up at the sky. As Milano followed his gaze, she spotted a bird of prey, it looked so majestic, flying gracefully through the skies aaaaand he just threw a Katana through its skull, is that even a legal move in this game?!

Milano huffed, "realistic my ass..." she crossed her arms in indignation.

The stallion laughed and shook his head as he walked over to the Katana and picked it up from the now exploted glittery non existent bird and wicked it before sheathing the weapon. "I'm guessing your a noob huh?" he said before turning to Milano.

Milano blinked, "a say what now?"

The stallion blinked, "...a... a noob... oh please don't tell me you don't know the difference between a noob and a gamer..."

Milano stared blankly.

The stallion facepalmed, "laaaaaaaame! OK, a Noob is a 'newbie' somepony who's got little to no experience in a particular game and tends to die quickly and die a lot. Wow you totally destroyed my joke there..."

Milano puffed her cheeks out in foalish anger, "tch, what joke?!"

The stallion rolled his eyes, "because you would've gotten your ass kicked even if you weren't a noob, at level 1 you're at the mercy of the die roll. You don't have any bonuses other than your physical stats. Now me, I made sure to get an 18.50 or higher strength so that I'd have bonuses to hit and damage for melee since I'm a Kensei and therefore rely on a single specialized weapon, you see; opting for the Kensei's dual wielding feat at 7th level allows them to dual wield their specialized weapon without any penalties and ergo, I went with Katanas since they do 1d10 even though they're one handed-"

Milano one again blinked in complete incomprehension, he might as well have been speaking Manderine or whatever language is native to those spa ponies to her.

"-and so, by dual wielding with the Kensei's ability to dual wield two weapons of the same size I admittedly have the penalty based on my dex with a -1 to my on hand and a -2 to my off hand I make up for that with my 18.87 strength giving me a +3 to hit equaling out to a +2 to right hand and +1 to off hand along with a huge bonus to damage; furthermore, as I level up I get the natural fighter's bonus to hit to further increase accuracy and of course the Kensei's natural-"

Seriously... this is like... not even a pony language... is it a pony language? It sounds like an alien trying to make first contact...

"-bonuses to hit and damage with their specialized weapon; oh plus once I reach seventh level I'll get the dual wielding specialty for my main weapon allowing me to dual wield the Katanas without penalty; and then of course there's the Kiai ability of the Kensei, sure I can only use it a number of times a day equal to my level but you know, still, I can do maximum possible damage so with a 1d10 weapon I do an auto 10 damage plus any bonuses of which I'll have a lot by that level... uh.. yoohoo!" he waved his hand in front of Milano's face who looked like she'd completely zoned out and even had a little bit of drool trailing down the corner of her mouth as if she were in a coma.

Milano snapped out of it and shook her head, "huh, wha?"

The stallion frowned, "geeze, just freaking ignore me why don't ya?"

Milano glared, "says the jerk who made fun of me ten minutes ago!"

The stallion shrugged indifferently, "meh, whateves..."

Milano ground her teeth, never had she met such a crude, and repugnant ass as this.. this... "what's even your name?!" she demanded.

The stallion blinked, "... Ókami and don't you mean 'what's your name?' There's no need for the 'even' in that sentence-" "DON'T CORRECT MY GRAMMAR!"

The stallion waved her off nonchalantly, "whatever you say 'mom'." she retorted mockingly.

Milano felt her eye twitching sporadically; never had she been so tempted to hit another pony in her life... well she did have this big deadly weapon at her disposal...

"Anyway you could have just opened my cursor to check my name out, like this... Amaterasu... cute, it suits y-OH MY GODS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he yelled as he narrowly avoided her Naginata.

Button's screen filled with a challenge menu: AMATERASU WANTS TO DUEL YOU, DO YOU ACCEPT?!"

Button blinked as he looked at Milano's seething bloodthirsty form, "GODS NO!" he hit the reject button. Just then Milano's hacked the blade into his head clonking him but drawing no blood and dealing no damage. "OW! Stop it!"

AMATERASU WANTS TO DUEL YOU, DO YOU ACCEPT?!

"I said no! OW! Stop hitting me you crazy bitch! OW!"

AMATERASU WANTS TO- AMATERASU WANTS TO DUE-AMATERAS-AMAT-

Every singly time she clobered him another challenge window popped up.

"STOOOOP! I'M SORRY!"

Milano finally relented in her divine justice as she stood there panting.

"Geeze... you've got one hell of a mean streak.. ouch..." Button rubbed his aching head.

"Ya well... that's what you get for being a jerk!" Milano shouted immaturely while waving her hands erratically in the air.

After a few minutes of bickering, a couple more boars wondered by the two were forced to fight side by side. After which their agression had been all but spent leaving them somewhat bored... They made their way towards the nearest town in a silent gait.

"Hey, you wanna see something awesome?!" Button suddenly asked with excitement clear in his voice.

Milano frowned, 'what's he up to...' she was thoroughly convinced that this was yet another cruel prank that he was playing on her. She'd discovered quickly that this Ókami like to mess with ponies and push their buttons just to get a rise out of them; although her vengeful fits of clobbering taught him to quickly tone the pranks down a few notches.

Eventually Button lead Milano to an open meadow filled with the most beautiful assortment of flowers she'd ever seen.

Button enjoyed watching Amaterasu's eyes go wide as she explored and frolicked within the fields like a little filly.

Milano hadn't felt like this in decades! She now 38 years old and such things as frolicking through flower fields were beneath her by society's standards... but here? Here she... here she was Amaterasu and she could do anything she wanted!

Milano paused and blushed...

...

...

Ya... now she really was starting to see why her son loved these games so much... they were... liberating... they were amazing!

Milano felt a small smile tug at her lips and despite herself, she began giggling like a little filly.

"I'm glad you like it."

Milano jumped at the voice and turned to see Ókami smirking. "L-like what?!"

"The game." Button responded.

Milano blushed.

"I can tell when somepony's enjoying a game, and you my dear, are loving Pony Blade." he walked past her and stared up at the sky, "that's what's so awesome about an MMORPG... or any video game really... it's a chance to live another life..." his smug smirk disappeared in favor of an emotionless contemplative face, "it's another reality... one where you control you're own fate. In the real world you could be a clerk stuck behind a desk, or an unpopular looser at school... but here? Here you can be a hero, here you can be the most powerful fucker on the face of the planet. Here you actually have some control over your life for once..."

A wayward breeze blew past billowing through their manes.

"hmm..." Milano pondered that statement, "but... still... it's not real."

"Isn't it?" Button turned around to look at the mare with an uncharacteristic expression, a calm serene but focused look, with eyes like a philosopher holding the inner truths of the world.

"Well... no... I mean... this is still just a game... and you can't become too absorbed in it or you start to forget about real life... I mean..." Milano sighed and crossed her arms, "what happens if you start to love this fake world more than the real one?"

Button smiled, "maybe this IS the real world. And that other place is the game we all play every day and night."

Milano gave a mirthless laugh, "d-don't be ridiculous. I know the difference between fantasy and reality."

"Oh?" Button walked over to the mare and without warning, he leaned in and kissed her.

Milano's eyes widened in shock and she shoved him away sputtering, "N-nani?! What the hell was that?!" she shouted as her mind overloaded and began sputtering some of her foreign culture class's language teachings.

"Did that feel like a fantasy?" Button asked with the same mysterious expression as the wind blew sakura blossoms through the air around them causing their manes to flow with the current.

Milano's face was completely flushed, "D-da fuq does THAT mean?!"

"Did it feel like just a game? The softness of my skin, the warmth of my mouth, the taste of my lips, the smell of my mane, did any of that feel like 'just a game'?" Button continued.

Milano gulped, "Watashina... Atashi..." she shook her head furiously, "THAT DOESN'T MATTER!"

"Doesn't it? Have you ever had a dream so real that you thought mistook it for your 'reality'? A dream where you got up, got ready for work," he began closing in on her causing Milano to back up. "ate breakfast, left the house; saw your friends, had lengthy conversations, and done everything that you'd normally do?" Button now had the mare backed up against a sakura tree and placed a hand on the tree trunk on either side of her head.

"Weren't you so surprised to find out that it was only a dream? Didn't it make you question if you were still awake?" he continued.

Milano swallowed as her heart rate increased and her breath caught short as Button gazed intensely at her as if his eyes were boring into her soul.

"I... I..." Milano's speech failed her.

"Welp, I guess it doesn't matter." Button said as his mood did a complete 180 and he locked his hands behind his head as he turned around.

"H...huh?" Milano blinked.

Button laughed, "I guess reality is what you make it!"

Milano's earlier meekness bubbled over into annoyed rage, "KKGRRRGGGKKK BAAAKAAA!" she ran up behind him and kicked his ass, literally.

"YIEP! Again with the abuse?!"

Milano chased the annoying stallion around the field practically foaming at the mouth as she raged after him for a few minutes until she got tired.

"Well anyway..." Button laughed as he scratched his nose with his index finger, "it was fun... meeting you I mean; you're a cool chick, if a bit maltempered." he chuckled.

Milano shot him a warning glare making him hold his hands up in surrender, "I mean that in the most flattering way ofcourse! Eheheh..."

Milano 'hmphed' before sitting down with her legs and arms crossed while she closed her eyes and puffed her cheeks out immaturely, "poi poi!"

Button laughed, "well, I got to get going, it's getting late and I've got stuff to do tomorrow."

Milano's eyes snapped open, "wait!" then she blinked as she realized what she'd just said.

Button turned around with the most slimy grin conceivable on his face, "oh? Missing me already?"

"SHUT UP TEME!" she cursed at him.

Button sat down next to her and hooked an arm around her, "ya welp, don't feel bad, tis a rare sight that a mare can help but fall for my resistible charms. Don't beat yourself up over it kiddo, nothing to be asha-URK!"

Milano slammed her fist into his crotch cutting off his speech.

Button fell over clasping his jewels, "that... was... uncalled for..." he wheezed out.

Milano turned away crossing her arms and harrumphing, "as if I'd be attracted to a snot nosed brat like you! You're probably just some 12 your old loser you can't get a marefriend!"

Button pushed himself up as he recovered, "you don't know that... maybe I'm a thirty year old fat guy who still lives with his mom."

Milano glared at him, "that's even worse."

"Or maybe I'm a hot young stud looking for a damsel in distress to swoop off her hooves." he said as she shimmied on next to her and looped an arm around her shoulders once again.

Milano's fist of justice flew up and slammed into his face knocking him backwards.

"You're hopeless is what you are. And I'm no damsel dammit! I am Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mother of all!" Milano puffed out her chest in pride.

"That's blasphemous..." Button commented as he rubbed his aching face and once again denied the dual challenge notice.

"Your MOM is blasphemous!" Milano yelled back at him.

...

...

...

No, no, take you time to process that...

...

...

"Well anyway..." Button sat up, held out his hand and swiped down with his finger calling forth a menu. Milano watched him press a few buttons before a menu popped up on her own screen saying: ÓKAMI WANTS TO FRIEND YOU, ACCEPT?

Milano blinked, "... ... ... ... ... ... I don't get it... ... ... ..."

Button facepalmed, "ugh, it's so that we can get back in contact whenever we sign in again." he explained.

Milano glared, "and why would I want to contact YOU again?!"

Button shrugged, "'cause I'm the most interesting guy you've ever met."

Milano's jaw dropped as her eye began twitching again, 'the NERVE! Why I ought a...' "Hmph!" she smashed her finger onto the 'accept' button. "This does NOT mean that I want to see you again! I just want to make sure you're not traumatizing any innocent fillies that you stumble across in your unholy prowling."

Button once again shrugged with that cocky smile that just made Milano want to punch him again, "meh, it's a start." he said still smiling coyly at her.

Milano ruffled her hands through her mane, "GAAAAAHHH YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE!" she swiped her finger though the air summoning the menu mashing her finger on the loggout button.

XXXXX

Milano's vision returned to her natural body, she yanked the VRH off and tossed it over the bed, "UGH! Fucking... stupid... jerk... pervert... friggin... stupid smirk... jggrrsst... GAAAAAHHH!" she flopped onto her back with her forelegs spread wide with a sigh.

Milano stared silently at the ceiling for a while unthinking... until the memory of Ókami kissing her flooded her mind, the sound of the rustling leaves... the smell of cherry blossoms from both the trees and his mane... that soft touch of his lips...

Milano gave a start when she came to consciously realize that she was thinking of him, her face flushed red and she grabbed a pillow slamming it over her face and screaming into it, "BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKAAAAAA!"

"Mom? You OK?" Button asked as he knocked on her door having just logged out of his own game.

"GO TO BED!" she shrieked at him.

"Yikes! Sheesh, sor-ry!" Button mumbled as she made his way toward his own room, rather dejected at having been yelled at by not one but two mares in one day.

Milano released her pillow and shut the laptop down, placing it under her bed. She stared at the RVH for a few seconds before turning her lamp off and sliding under the covers... "... stupid... idiot..." though his words still rang through her head 'does it feel like 'just a game'?'

Milano stared pensively at the darkness of her silent room. "I guess... maybe... maybe... not... just a little not... just a little though... I'm not saying he's right... and I sure as hell didn't like that... that was NOT OK... you don't just... you don't just kiss somepony out of the blue like that!..." she rolled over trying to get comfy.

She was definitely not admitting that he was right... and she was definitely not remembering how good to finally have a stallion's lips on her own again... and she was most certainly absolutely and definitely not going to dream about him that night...

Meanwhile, Button clambered into bed, he was hungry but.. too tired to make anything, besides, it was already 12:30 in the morning... ya... food could wait until tomorrow... besides he was supposed to meet with Sweetie at SCC tomorrow for milk shakes.

Button idly raised his hoof and stared at it, remembering the feeling of fingers extending from his avatar's hand... and the feeling of that crazy mare's soft lips... and that unique taste... the smell and sound of the wind... who was to say that isn't real?

Button lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, "if it looks real... if it sounds real... if it smells real... if it tastes real... and if it feels real... then..." he lifted his hoof into the air, "who's to say it isn't?"

...

...

...

...

"Or maybe the better question is... if I want it to be real..."

...

...

...

"Who's to say it isn't?"


	2. Of Friends and Family

Chapter Two, Of Friends and Family

-Love is treacherous, for it pushes us to do the most horrible of acts; whether that be to ignore the social norms of your culture to love somepony that you were never meant to love based on gender, age, or relation; or be it to hold hatred against those who reject you destroying previous friendships. Love is cruel, fickle, and merciless. Yet we crave it so.- Excerpt from the Secret Book of Bemnal The Fallen

Button made his way to SCC, just another day; sure yesterday wasn't exactly a 'normal' day per se, but it was still a nice one; he'd met a silly, if a bit violent, mare and got to once again enjoy the experience of Pony Blade.

As for today however... he was to meet Sweetie Belle at their usual spot. Ah yes, milk shake day. Sweetie wave him over when he entered the store; he made his way towards her seat and lay down an order for the waitress.

"So, what's up?" Button asked. But Sweetie didn't look happy to see him.

"Who is she." Sweetie practically growled.

Button did a double take at the aggression behind her words, "uh... s-sorry?"

Sweetie harrumphed, "you were supposed to meet up with me yesterday, we were gonna form a party, remember?"

Button slowly nodded, "oh... ya... right... uh, sorry about that, I uh, got a little side tracked."

Sweetie once again glared at him, "ya, with that weird chick."

Button frowned, "what, were you spying on me or something?"

Sweetie gave a deadpan, "don't flatter yourself, I just looked up your gamer profile and fount you frolicking around in a meadow like a fairy."

Button's frown became a scowl, "so you WERE spying on me!" he said in a mock accusatory voice.

Sweetie picked the cherry out of her milk shake and threw it at his face, "don't change the subject."

"Gah!" Button swiped at the condiment.

"So who is she?" Sweetie once again demanded.

Button sighed, "some noob, I just came across her and... I guess I kinda felt sorry for her; oh geeze you should have seen how hopeless she was..." Button laughed, "but uh... ya... I guess I kinda just had fun showing her the basics and kinda forgot... about... our meeting." he gave a sheepish smile.

Sweetie sighed before resting her face on her upturned hoof, "honestly..."

Button chewed on his lip as he stared at the table, "so... um... ya... sorry, I guess..."

Sweetie waved him off, "whatever, just make sure you don't skip tonight or I'll bury you alive." she sort of joked/sort of threatened.

"Yeesh, the Oni rear's its fuming head!" Button joked as he waved his hooves around ecstatically.

Sweetie threw another cherry in his face.

"Gah!"

XXXXX

Milano went through her usual day of work; but surprisingly it wasn't as dreary as it usually was; rather, it was somewhat exciting; not so much the actual work but just her general mood. Perhaps it was the prospect of playing Pony Blade once she got home, was this how Button felt every day at school?

The idea of having so much fun when she got home certainly helped her get through the dreary bore of her work, that's for sure.

And so, she made her way through the standard tasks of her work day with a small smile on her face with the promise of fun upon returning home to play her game.

XXXXX

Evening came, both Milano and Button returned home, ate their respective dinners and chatted idly about their days.

"So we went to the park and Sweetie got nailed in the face with a baseball." Button explained as he laughed.

"My goodness! Is she alright?" Milano replied.

"Ya, but I can't say the same for the guy that hit it though... Sweetie can be really scary when she's mad." Button finished.

Milano chuckled, "yes, she is very sprightly isn't she?"

Button nodded, "hmm... what about you mom?"

Milano gave a 'hmm' "well, I did have to assist a mare who was giving birth-" "Ew! I don't wanna hear about that!"

Milano laughed.

Once dinner was finished, Button hopped on his game system as Milano entered her room; she pulled up the laptop and stared idly at it. Should she really go back there?

...

...

Back to... to him?

Milano shook her head, "As if I want to see that immature brat!... although... I still... maybe need a little advice here and there... just a little..." Milano puffed her cheeks out again as her face flushed.

With a resigning sigh, she put the RVH on and set the link up. Once again she was assaulted by the feeling of reality shifting around her before blinking her eyes up at an azure sky.

Milano stood up and walked around. She eventually found her way towards a town and after some very frustrating trial and error; got a quest. Just a simple one, a cave nearby needed some goblins to be cleared out. Having tested out the combat system yesterday, Milano was much more prepared this time around and managed to kill the lot of them taking them on in pairs of two. Luckily the game had a regeneration system set in place outside of combat. After a while she was finished and even leveled up!

Milano had hopped around in ecstatic joy before realizing how immature she was acting, oh who cares! It's not like anypony was there to judge her! She also found a mound of treasure in one room giving her yet another level up; apparently when treasure was found you were awarded XP based on the treasure's value in gold.

So, now at level 3 with 28 hit points, she felt rather proud of herself if still a bit wary of other players. After all, if any of them were like that jerk from yesterday...

Milano shook her head furiously. She focused solely on what was ahead of her; she adventured through a few more quests, waded through forests and swam through lakes; so many things that she'd never had the tme to do in the real world. In fact... looking back, Milano spotted her wings...

"Naw... there's no way..." Milano mumbled as she stared at them... could she... could she really?

...

...

...

Maybe...

...

Concentrating hard, she focused on her back muscles; she reached her arms back and fiddled with the wings to giver her brain a sense of the alien appendages. Several minutes of trial and error later brought her to a hover above the ground. At first this new development filled her with ecstasy... and then she fell on her rump. Some cursing and scowling later, she finally managed a few shaky flaps around the forest.

Another hour and she was able to fly ten feet in the air, her mouth slowly curled into a smile of foalish glee as a feeling she'd only experienced in dreams washed over her; the freedom of flight. No, the ULTIMATE freedom of flight. The embodiment of freedom itself; able to travel anywhere she wished. The shackles of her monotonous life fell away as she lost all sense of her former life.

This was... this was unexplainable it its terms of joy, this was pure happiness incarnate. No worrying over late night medical reports; no disappointment on her dates, no fussing over her son's video game habits...

Milano's smile faded as that last thought hit her like a ton of bricks...

She gradually descended to the fresh soft soil of the tundra below as she now mulled that last contemplation over... was her son's video game obsession really that bad? Milano's ears folded over her head as a wave of depression hit her; of course that obsession was bad, it's unhealthy to play video games day and night, to lose yourself in this fake world when you have responsibilities to yourself, your school, your jobs, your family. And here she was just as guilty.

That pit of depression twisted into an uncomfortable self loathing as she logged herself out.

XXXXX

Button laughed as Sweetie A.K.A. Yama Tsukuyomi as per her character name choice, as fell into a tar pit trap. Minus the tar now surrounding her, her character was a black Unicorn with silver eyes and a mage's robe of ivory with black lines swirling about like calligraphy brush strokes.

Sweetie glared up at him, "GET ME OUTTA HERE YOU USELESS BUTT!"

Button tapped his chin, "I dunno, I think you look good covered in black sludge."

"If I could move I would I'd neuter you." Sweetie spat back.

"Well sheesh! If you're gonna act like that I might as well just leave you to rot!"

"DON'T YOU DARE!"

Button laughed, "I was just kidding!" he materialized a 10 foot poll and reached it out towards her.

After helping her out, Sweetie set to work cleaning off in the lake outside the dungeon they'd (very unsuccessfully) plundered. Button shook his head with a coy smile before opening up his status menu. Flipping through to his PM box he searched for any messages, more specifically, messages from Amaterasu.

Button frowned, not a single note. Not even an 'I hope you die' hate mail, nothing.

"Hmm..."

"Something wrong?" Sweetie asked as she pulled her black and white form from the lake and shook herself off like a dog.

"Wha? Oh, no... just thinking." Button answered halfheartedly.

"Thinking about what?" Sweetie asked tilting her head.

Button shrugged, "the answer to the Universe."

Sweetie deadpanned, "you're a dork."

Button merely flashed a cheeky grin with his hands clasped behind his back. "Well, I think getting our asses kicked by midget demons is enough humiliation for one day. I think I'll buy some equipment and sign off."

Sweetie nodded, then she turned her gaze away for a few seconds before returning it to Button, "hey... uh, are you doing anything tomorrow?" she asked uneasily.

Button looked to the sky, "mmm... I don't think so."

Sweetie looked at the ground, "... well.. do you wanna hang out or something?" She practically mumbled.

Button shrugged, "ya If nothing comes up I guess."

Sweetie smiled warmly at that, "Great! It's a date then!" and before Button could question what she meant by that, she logged out.

Button sighed, "I have the weirdest mares in my life..."

XXXXX

Milano exited her room. Ah yes... back to the dull apartment building... with her diet food, old TV; L shaped hallway and hand-me-down dining table in the room next to the undersized kitchen...

But this was reality! It... it's not healthy to live in a dream...

"And this is why..." Milano chocked out as she felt tears beginning to form... this was why. Because now here she was, wishing that she was back there already... her mind telling her body to turn back and put that stupid helmet back on... to that fantasy world... telling her that it was better than...

Milano shook her head, "no..." her voice quivered. "NO! This is my life!" she wiped her eyes before heading into the living room where she saw her son still siting on the couch with his head slumped over and his helmet on.

Milano looked upon him with pitying eyes... Was it her fault that he became so addicted to these games? Was... was his life really that boring and dreary... and if so, was that her fault?

Milano sighed as she sat on the couch next to her son and gently lowered his head into her lap, she idly stroked over his helmet where his mane would be. This simple act; so insignificant held so much meaning between them, this was what they used to do before... well, before life happened. Before her lazy ex husband got kicked out, before her elder son stormed out of the house shouting how glad he was that he'd never have to see her again. Before bankruptcy and living off of a friend. Before moving into an apartment like a poor pony, before living from pay check to pay check...

Before this became her reality...

How could somepony NOT want to live in a game world when this was their life?

Eventually Button's eyes opened as his consciousness returned to his limp form. He took the RVH off before tossing it onto the second couch and sighing as he lay back down on the pillow...

Wait... pillow? Feeling a hoof tenderly stroke his head set a panic into his mind, he whipped his gaze around only for it to land on his mother, "GAH! Freaking A mom! Jeeze..." he panted as his near heart attack died down.

Milano gave a sad sigh, "sorry honey, didn't mean to scare you."

Button mumbled, "uhuh..."

Milano resumed stroking his mane and the two stayed like that for a few minutes.

"Hey button?"

"Hmm?"

Milano hesitated, "do you want to do something tomorrow? Maybe go to the coffee shop?"

Button looked away, "mmm... Sweetie kinda wanted to hang out with me..."

Milano looked slightly crestfallen, "O-or we could see movie? How does that sound?"

Button blinked as he stared out at the TV still bearing the Pony Blade main menu. Well it's not like he made a habit of ditching his friends but... well... he did wanna see that new movie that came out yesterday...

"Uh... I guess I can just hang out with her next week or something..." Button shifted in position.

Milano smiled, "alright then~" she sang out.

They had dinner and got ready for bed. Button was almost ready to nod off when he remembered Sweetie, she'd probably kill him if he randomly baled on her without an explanation. Pulling out his iSono, he dialed up Sweetie.

"Hello? Button?" Sweetie sounded grogy.

"Oh shit, did I wake you up?" Button winced.

"Naw, I was just doing homework for two hours, I feel like a zombie..." Sweetie replied.

Button laughed, "well, anyway, sorry but I can't hang out tomorrow..."

Sweetie's end went silent.

The silence drawled on for a few minutes until it reached downright uncomfortable proportions.

"Uh, S-" "you liar..."

"Huh?"

"You said you'd hang out with me..."

Button blinked as a very uncomfortable knot formed in his stomach; he hated making his friends upset but... well, he was also the kind of selfish jerk who'd rather go see a movie than spend time with his friends. "Actually, I said 'if nothing comes up' I'd hang out with you."

"SO THEN WHAT CAME UP?!" Sweetie snarled.

"Yeesh!" Button pulled the phone away from his head, "freaking A, my mom just wants to hang out."

Where did that uncomfortable silence go? Oh there it was.

..

...

"So... I-I'm not im-portant enough?" Sweetie choked out.

Button shook his head, "woah, where'd THAT come from? You're the one that turned it into a commitment; I said if I didn't have anything going on I'd go but now I do have something going on so I'm not."

"So then I'm NOT important enough?!" Sweetie barked.

Button groaned, 'I swear to Luna I just wanna punch her sometimes' "look I just want to spend time with my mom OK? I barely ever do stuff with her."

"You barely ever do stuff with me!"

Button once again rubbed his sore ear, "I go to school with you every day, were both in the D&P club and we constantly play MMORPGs, we do a shit ton of stuff together."

Oh, hey there uncomfortable silence! I thought you took off? No? Well, OK!

..

..

...

...

...

"... S-sweetie?" Button muttered nervously.

"Idiot." *click* *beeeb beeeb beeeb beeeb*

Button blinked...

"Did... did she hang up on me?!... She did! Bitch! Fuck it, I'm tired." he turned his iSono off and went to bed. Or tried to anyway, the knot of discontent made it rather difficult and plagued him for at least two hours before relenting.

XXXXX

The next day came and went, Button and Milano went to the movie; afterwards they stopped by the park and fed the birds. Then they just sort of walked around Ponyville, seeing the sights and enjoyed the fresh air.

It was... nice...

Day turned to night, Sunday turned to Monday and the monotonous cycle of life began again, get up, eat, go to school/work. Etc.

Sweetie Belle made a point to avoid Button most of the day much to his chargin. Eventually though, they were suited up as partners for lab day in Biology.

They were supposed to take mouth swabs in order to analyze the bacteria growing within one's mouth under a microscope. Unfortunately for Button, Sweetie decided to use this as a chance to get a little revenge, she kept 'accidentally' poking the que tip much deeper than was needed and jammed it into the back of Button's mouth causing a spike of pain in his throat.

"Woops." she said without really meaning it for the fourth time in a row.

"OK just stop!" Button said as he backed away before Sweetie could stab him again, "wy don't we use your mouth instead?"

"Oh quit being a foal." Sweetie retorted as she closed in again. But Button stopped her with his hoof, "you know... I'm starting to really get pissed off."

Sweetie scoffed, "oh, YOU'RE getting pissed off?"

Button frowned, "Well let's see, you're yelling at me for no reason all the time, you call me an idiot every day, and you physically abuse me so ya, I'm a little peeved."

Sweetie smacked him.

The classroom fell silent as all eyes turned towards the two.

Button starred at her in open mouthed shock.

The classroom gasped.

"You ARE an idiot! You're so stupid you can't even see what's in front of you!" Sweetie shouted in his face before grabbing the microscope and throwing it at him which he quickly ducked under.

"SWEETIE BELLE!" Cheerilee shouted at the delinquent, but Sweetie didn't listen, tears streamed down her face as she ran out of the room.

Button was still standing their numb with shock; Sweetie had never hit him before; not in the real world anyway, sure she pinched his cheeks or shoved him now and again when he pissed her off or even lightly smack him upside the head in a comedic manner; but NEVER had she deliberately hit him full force with the intent to injure...

Cheerilee did her best to get the other students back on task; Button was sent to the off to the principle's office.

"So what happened?" The Principle asked.

"I dunno, Sweetie spazed out on me for some reason."

The Principle frowned, "and do you know what that reason might be?"

Button groaned, "no, I don't KNOW, but I THINK it might be because..."

"Because?"

Button stared at the ground, "I don't wanna assume this because if I'm wrong then I'd the asshole here but... I think there might be the slightest chance that she has a crush on me and... I'm not acknowledging it so... I guess that'd probably piss me off too if somepony I liked was ignoring how I feel."

The Principle hummed, "well regardless of teenage drama, we can't have fights breaking in the middle of classrooms."

Button frowned, "ya, I didn't exactly want want to get punched but I didn't really have a choice in the matter."

the Principle sighed, as did Button, "look, I didn't want any kind of fight OK? I just wanted to tell her to stop the mean streak that she's been gunning after me with for the past week and she took exception to that. I'm sorry that caused a scene." he stared off at the wall.

Eventually he was released with a simple warning. Stupid school system, Button always thought you only got in trouble if you hit somepony; why the hell was he getting a warning for being assaulted out of the blue? What the fuck kind of justice is that?!

But his suffering wasn't over yet, for he shared a lunch with Scootaloo who immediately threw a sandwich in his face, "what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Button growled as he wiped the sandwich off, "oh ya, cause getting attacked out of nowhere makes me a bad guy." he retorted.

Scootaloo shoved her face into Button's "you're such an asshole!"

"WHY?!" Button shouted back at her as he shoved his face back against hers, "BECAUSE I'M SICK OF GETTING ABUSED BY A SO CALLED 'FRIEND'? THAT MAKES ME AN ASSHOLE?! FUCK YOU!"

Scootaloo butted heads with thim but Button was sick of being a punching bag; every bit of shoving that Scootaloo dealt out Button shoved back with equal force.

"Be honest with me." Button grunted out, "does Sweetie Belle have a crush on me?"

Scootaloo was so taken aback by the question that she lost all strength in her struggle and the both nearly toppled over.

Button picked himself up, "is that what this is all about?"

Scootaloo frowned, "duh." she replied simply.

Button turned and looked towards the wall before leaning against it, "... it's not like I didn't see it..."

"Ya right." Scootaloo scoffed.

"I just chose to ignore it."

Scootaloo's frown turned to a scowl, but before she could reply, Button continued, "I just... well first I didn't know if I was right or not and I didn't want to assume... but the other part of it was that... I just..." he gently banged his head against the wall, "I just... I just to see her like that..."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't think of her as anything more than a friend..." Button said quietly.

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN GIVING HER A CHANCE!" Scootaloo cried.

"I don't want to, why should I have to date somepony I'm not romantically attracted to? That's not fair to her or me." Button said sagely.

Scootaloo snorted indignantly, "you're a real grade A asshole you know that? You're not a straight up dick, you're sneaky... you make it seem like you care about how other ponies feel when all you care about is yourself!"

"Well I guess I'd be horrible coltfriend material now wouldn't I?" Button said softly as he looked up at her with empty tired eyes.

Scootaloo scoffed, "You're pathetic." Scootaloo turned and left the lunch room but not before adding, "And you're a liar."

Button sat for a few moments, then he chased after her, "She's not my type OK?"

"Oh, so that means she has to suffer?!" Scootaloo shot back.

"So I have to be involved with somepony that I'm not romantically interested in just because she has a crush on me?" Button spat.

"You're a selfish son of a bitch." Scootaloo growled.

"Why?" Button said simply, "why isn't Sweetie the selfish one? Because she's your friend? So her happiness is more important than mine? Doesn't that make you selfish?"

"Ooh, nice manipulation, you toy with all your friends like their puppets? Is that all Sweetie is to you? A toy?"

Button smiled, "now who's manipulative?"

"Fuck you." Scootaloo spat.

The two stood their for a few moments, Button had to admit that Scootaloo was actually very intelligent, she was seeing through all of his masks and caught on to every charisma trick in the book. Probably more from experience than talent he guessed.

"What if a colt you weren't attracted to was madly in lov-" "I'm gay." "any colt at all then, are you selfish for turning them do-" "This is different and you know it, you're not gay, you're perfectly capable of loving her, you're just choosing not to."

Fucking A, she IS smart.

But then Button's expression faded as he spotted a chink in her argument's armor, a rather exploitable opening she'd created. Idly, he wondered if it was perhaps a trap... but what's life without a little gamble now and again? "Ya... ya I choose not to, so why isn't she in the wrong for choosing to love me?"

Scootaloo scoffed, "you don't choose who you fall in lo-" Scootaloo paused as she caught on, "oh you sadistic son of a bitch..."

Button smiled, his point was already made but he decided to drive it home, "then I guess I have no choice in that I'm not in love with her."

"I hate you... you're sick... you're fucking sick..."

Button sighed, as enjoyable as this victory was; his anger from the previous injustice had long since faded, "OK enough ball busting, I don't want to be in a relationship with somepony who's going to hit me all the time, it's bad enough that she as a friend is doing it but doing it as marefriend? No, I have too much self respect to willing enter an abusive relationship."

Scootaloo frowned at him but didn't scowl like a rabid animal as she had up to this point; this was just a civil disapproving frown.

"You don't know if she'll be like that if you don't give her a chance." She said neutrally.

"I just don't trust her enough for that, I honestly don't feel safe around her. My body flinches on reflex whenever she walks by because it's grown so used to her randomly attacking me! How the hell am I supposed to love her when I see her as an enemy?"

Scootaloo looked at the ground still wearing her frown as she mulled that over. It did make a sort of sense after all...

"... what if she stopped?" Scootaloo asked out of the blue.

Button looked up in surprise, "... I... ... .. ... I'd.. ..." he looked away, "I could definitely consider it..."

Button turned to leave.

"You're lying again..."

Button dropped his head, "fuck, you're too gods damn smart you know that?"

"Why won't you date her? No more bullshit."

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HER TO HATE ME!" Button shouted, "I'm perverted, lazy, I have no fucking clue how to take care of myself, and I've got major abandonment problems cause of my psycho fuck family falling apart! I have no idea what I'm going to do with my; I don't know what college to go to, I don't know what job I want, I'm seventeen and I still don't have a cutie mark, I'M BROKEN! I'm a fucking foal in a stallion's body, I don't need a Luna damned marefriend! I need a mom! I want a marefriend who'll cook and clean for me and treat me like a foal; I want a mare who'll treat me gently and not expect me to stick up for myself or be mature and who's OK with me playing video games 24/7 and has no idea how to be an adult! I... I WANT A MAREFRIEND WHO'S JUST LIKE MY MOM!" Button huffed and panted.

Scootaloo stood with her mouth agape.

"And... Sweetie Belle... is not like my mom... at all... I wouldn't be happy with her... and I'd let her know it every day until she was miserable and came to resent me for it... and I don't wanna.. l..." Button began to sob as his legs shook, "I don't want to lose the best friend I've ever had." Button stood there like his hooves were cemented to the floor for seconds... minutes...

In the end, he just turned and walked away without another word.

XXXXX

Milano let out a breath of honest relief when she finally entered her apartment, work had been more than a little hectic, but! Here she was, safe and sound in her little apartment, and that fluffy soft bed of hers was calling her name with a seductive ring to it's song.

Ah, but first she needed to fix dinner, eating so late at night like she had been for the past couple days was messing with her appetite, well, no more of that then!

Milano smiled happily as she fixed her food. Thinking of her son she was about to make something for him as well when he walked in the door.

Milano poked her head out of the kitchen. "Hey honey~, what would you like for di-OH MY GODS!" She dropped the frying pan she was holding causing it to clank onto the kitchen floor and rushed over to her son cradling his head; her face nearly in tears at the sight of the large welt on his cheek "Honey! What happened?! Did you get into a fight? Oh I knew I should never have let you into that damned fight club!"

"It's a martial arts club mom, not a fight club..." Button mumbled, "and... it has nothing to do with this..."

Milano placed her forelegs on her son's shoulders and hiked herself up so that she was eye level with him; funny, it seemed only yesterday that he would look up to her all the time and yet now he was a whole head taller than her.

"It's nothing..." Button's once again mumbled.

But Milano would have none of it, "the hay it's nothing! Who did this to you?!" she demanded.

"...*mumble*..."

"What was that?" Milano asked in a gentle tone.

"Sweetie Belle..." Button answered.

Milano blinked a few times, "... S... Sweetie Belle?..." she said in disbelief.

Button looked guiltily at the ground as he scuffed a hoof against the carpeting. "It's... it's really n-no big d-deal..." Button began to sob.

"Oh honey!" Milano made to hug him, but he gently shoved past her; she grabbed hold of his shoulder, "Button..."

Button pressed on.

"Button!" Milano cooed.

Button stopped, his shoulders shaking, he turned around and buried his face in his mom's neck letting out a flood of tears; "WHY AM I SUCH A HORRIBLE PONYHEHEHEHEEEEEEE!"

Milano plopped down on her rump and cradled her son's torso. And for a moment, it was like the old days again, her little colt balling his eyes out over some silly little thing crying into mommy's embrace.

Minutes later they were on the couch with Button resting his head on Milano's lap as she ran a hoof through his mane.

"So, I thought that *snif* you know, I just don't feel that way about her 'cause she's not my type so maybe if I just ignore it then she'll stop flirting and stuff." Button explained with his throat a bit sore from crying and nasal passages filled with snot.

"But, she didn't want to let it go ya know? *sniffle* so I uh, I got really sick and tired of it; I mean I don't care that she's always smacking me and stuff 'cause she never means it and she's always actually very gentle and knows not to hit hard; but I got sick of all the dropped hints crap I mean, why can't I just be a friend and that's it ya know? Why do I have to be more? Why can't *nose blow* why can't we just stay friends and not like, complicate everything? But I got really annoyed today when she was messing with me in Biology and I guess I just spazzed out which only made HER spaz out and then... and then she punched me..."

Milano nodded the whole time while she stroked her son's mane comfortingly, "well, she certainly had no right to do that."

"And then Scootaloo started getting on my case and Applebloom probably hates me too I bet. It's like, everypony's all pissed off at me just 'cause 'i won't give her a chance' but I don't wanna give her a chance! I'm just not into her like that!" he cried dismally. "I mean, it's none of their business who I or even she dates, and I don't give a fuck if they're her friends, cause it's not just her love life they're messing with, they're messing with mine too and they don't have the right to try and force me to be with her!"

Milano frowned, "no, they most certainly don't." she said sternly.

You can always count on at least one mare to be on your side...

"And I most certainly don't want delinquent who thinks it's OK to hurt ponies dating my son!" Milano added with a harumph.

Button wiped his nose and smiled up at his mom, "Thanks mom... I love you."

Milano smiled down at him, "I love you too Button." they nuzzled.

Well, tears and angst now water under the bridge, life carried on.

Eventually, Button had emotionally sobered up enough to head online.

XXXXX

Milano was currently level grinding in at an XP farm just outside one of the cities, she'd picked up surprisingly quick on the gamer lingo, though it was more out of hearing the terms so many times rather than necessity; not to mention that she herself had been a gamer when she was younger, perhaps it ran in the family?

Granted the games she used to play were extremely downplayed compared to this. From the simple two bars knocking a ball back and forth up to arcades and finally to the 2D left to right platformers and arcade combat games like Immortal Combat which was probably the most technologically advanced game she'd ever played successfully up until now. And boy did she get good at it!

Button may have been an MMORPG champion but Milano was still the undefeatable "Shinigami" among the Ponyville Arcade, any challenger that came forth in that Immortal Combat arcade machine fell like harvested wheat. Even the new age colts and fillies like her son who lived and breathed video games still couldn't even reach her high score let alone break it.

And perhaps it was when she'd first put a coin into an IC arcade system and picked her first fighter that she'd gotten a taste for virtual violence and pix-elated bloodshed.

Of course, at first this world was much different, everything was so real; the blood looked real, the sounds that monsters made as she cut them down were disturbingly familiar to the sound of dying animals she'd seen on the nature channels. But once she'd gotten used to the fact that this was a virtual world, and a competitive killing game world at that, she's begun to embrace that old love of tearing things apart with 'fatalities'

In all honesty, she was really starting to get the hang of this and was already up to level 6 going on 7. Once she really started to learn how it all worked, she came to realize the flaw of not choosing better stats; as a Samurai she'd get natural bonuses to damage and of course all warriors got the natural bonus to hit due to the warrior's THAC0

Speaking of THAC0, she'd finally figured out how the Armor Class worked. What you'd do is add your bonus to hit to the enemy's AC and then subtract that total from 20 to find your THAC0 (To HIt Armor Class zero) so say your enemy had an AC of 2 and you had a +3 to hit, you'd add the 2 to the 3 to get a total of 5. Then subtract 5 from 20 to get 15. That means you need to roll a 15 on a 20 sided die to hit the opponent successfully.

Milano laughed in maniacal glee as she chased after the last orc who was now fleeing in terror from the blood soaked psychotic mare. A blinking on her screen distracted her just enough for her to trip over a wayward branch and land on her face. "OOF!"

The Orc got away.

The XP award from the battle flashed across her screen but she waved it away in favor of what had dared stop her berserking rampage! NEW PRIVATE MESSAGE!

Milano blinked... she opened it up to see that it was from- "Ugh... Ókami... what does HE want..." she said more than asked.

But, sighing in resignation; she opted to just humor him rather than ignore his message and be spammed with PMs. Opening it up, the message read as such: Hey, wanna hang out?

Milano blinked... she'd expected... well... anything really... that is, anything crude or perverted or... well, generally something unpleasant but this? This was... well... this was normal... just a simple invitation to chill.

"What's he up to..." Milano asked nopony in particular as she glared at the floating screen.

Sighing, Milano got up and headed towards the location he'd set.

Once she arrived, she saw Ókami just sitting there... silently with his arms wrapped around his knees as he looked over the hilltop that he sat on... it was... odd... just odd to see him so, well, serene.

Milano walked up behind him and stared at his waiting form.

Button peered out at the endless mass of forest at the bottom of the hill's drop off and the horizon of starlight beyond... it looked so peaceful; and despite the monsters prowling and quests being pursued and fights breaking out among PVP matches... this world seemed so... simple... in a good way. Not complicated and filled with heart ache, confusion, and pain like the 'real' world...

He then felt a fist gently clonk him on the top of the head, he looked up to see Amaterasu.

"You made me lose an Orc." she said softly.

Button smiled, "sorry."

Milano sat down next to him, "so... what's up?" she asked, it sounded strange coming from her lips; she wasn't used to saying lingo like that; Milano said things like 'well how are you?' 'so how have things been?' and the like. Not this new generation's strange greeting of 'what's up?' But not wanting to sound like an old prune, she opted for the common greeting that she'd heard so many times from the other player's she'd encountered.

Button shrugged, "nothing much I guess... just thinking..." he rested his chin on his knees.

Milano couldn't help it, he looked too much like her son in a sulk; and she still had some residual 'mother hen' mode in her. She reached a hand out and patted his head, "it's good to think; even if it hurts, but it's better to talk about things; not necessarily to somepony else, sometimes it can help just to talk to the wind or the night sky, just to get whatever's eating you out there. You know, sometimes talking about things can help you figure out how to work them out all by yourself" she cooed maternally

Button chuckled, "now you sound like my mom..."

Milano smiled, "then she's a smart mare."

Button nodded, "ya... she is..."

They both simply looked out at the night sky. Neither was sure how much time had passed as they sat like that but suddenly Ókami lay his head down in Amaterasu's lap.

Milano jumped a little at first, but then relaxed as she looked down at Ókami, his face was so calm with half lidded eyes as he looked out over the horizon. It was almost therapeutic seeing such calm on another pony.

And so, natural mother instincts kicked in, telling her to encourage such peaceful behavior, her hand rested on Ókami's head and patted his hair comfortingly.

Button lightly sighed in appreciation.

It was almost ironic, thought Milano as she stared up at the heavens. The old tales of the Ókami and the goddess Amaterasu who created them... gave life to them and loved them as any true mother would her own foals.

So in a weird sort of way, it was almost as if Milano was superficially this Ókami's mother. Not literally in any serious sense of course but just in thought, just a slight minor thought; a sort of connection not of friends but of family. A connection that brought warmth and kindness to the both of them.

"Do you like it?" Button asked.

"Hm?" Milano replied distractedly.

"The night sky..." Button elaborated.

Milano blinked and looked up at the stars and nebula scattered across the celestial plane.

"The programmers said that they modeled it after what Luna used to make the night look like before she was banished... I wish she'd make it like this again... it's so pretty..."

Milano smiled faintly, "ya... yes it is..."

Button rolled so that he was facing Amaterasu, "... you're pretty too..."

Milano scoffed, "oh shut up..."

"No... you're more than pretty, you're beautiful..." Button breathed out quietly with calm content eyes.

Milano shifted a bit, "no I'm not..." she mumbled out, "this... this is just an avi... I don't actually look like this..."

"I wasn't talking about your appearance..." Button reached a hand up and caressed Amaterasu's cheek, "You're a beautiful pony... you're strong willed, confident, smart... and... perhaps.. the best thing about you..." Button smiled, "you have that special touch of a mother... the kind that even biological moms struggle to achieve... it's one thing to call yourself a mom or to be one by biological process... but it's very different... and very special... to be a true mother... and carry that aura of love and warmth... and that's such a hard thing to achieve Amaterasu... that's so hard be that... but... I can feel it on you... coursing through the soul of your words and actions... even the simple looks and tiny mannerisms... I can see that aura of a brilliant mother... and it's beautiful..."

Milano's breath caught, she opened her mouth to say something but no words came... and... idly, a tear began to form in the corner of her eye...

That had to be the single most beautiful thing anypony had ever said to her!

Button's thumb brushed the tear away; "Amaterasu... can I kiss you?"

Milano's eyes widened... but after a few seconds they relaxed...

Maybe... maybe it was the bonding she'd had with her son... maybe it was the satisfaction of finally enjoying killing virtual monsters as they begged for mercy for the first time in 17 years... or maybe it was the peaceful calm that she'd experienced with this stallion when so many others had left her wanting... or maybe it was just the heat of the moment... how many other stallions had completely disgusted her? Too many to count. Just ugly or obnoxious losers looking for a hot MILF to bang. But this guy... he was honest...

And those eyes, despite being virtual, they looked so real, and filled with a genuine kindness; not the kind that she'd thought she'd been searching for; but a love that stretched beyond friend and sexual desire... It was a simple love... perhaps one of the oldest in Equestria... a love that she'd been experiencing for so many years yet had completely forgotten until now... it simply put; was the love of a foal for his mother.

And it filled her with so much happiness to feel that love; to see it for its bear naked glory. She'd felt it so many days with her son that she'd almost grown blind to it, like a background noise that you hear all the time to the point that your ears simply don't register it anymore.

But here? With him? The love was so omnivisible... it was waking her in the face... it was a love that twisted social norms; a strange alien love to her until now, a mixture of love for a mate, and for family. A love aimed at a mare who could both be a love partner, and a mother to the deliverer.

And despite the almost perverse nature of that love, Milano couldn't help but accept it gladly... perhaps it was simply that she herself was just that dirty and lewd... but... she liked it... she liked that unhealthy love twisting innocent and pure love for a maternal figure with the romantic and sexual connection to a mate. It made her feel special... like she wasn't just another mare... like she was irreplaceable... because nopony can replace mommy...

A love that said whole heatedly 'I swear on my life, I will NEVER leave you. I will desire you and adore you unconditionally' because... what foal can help but love their mother that way? So unyieldingly? So certainly... so... so... oh enough with the philosophical chit chat!

Milano leaned down and pressed her lips onto Ókami's.

Button sighed pleasantly out his nose as Amaterasu's lips met his own. That first kiss... those three words... that first kiss... words that explain all there is to know. This kiss... this was how a first kiss was supposed to be... it was quite inexplicable, That First Kiss.

And it was perfect.

XXXXX

Two weeks soared by in a flash; both Button and Milano were incredibly happy. When they both inquired upon each other, they each merely got the answer, "I met somepony special." and that was all the answer each of them needed, for that was all the answer they needed to give and thus, they understood the other's words.

Both were filled with a strange high; and no amount of fire or chaos would disrupt the purity of the bliss they had formed in their minds. Milano's work ethic improved immensely; her passion for nursing had been re-ignited and with it; she became the cheery fussy mother hen that she used be when she was younger.

Button's school improved, he began putting more work into his assignments and actually took time away from video games to study for tests. It was strange but... since meeting that amazing mare online, Button's relationship with his mother had drastically improved. They were now spending time together on a regular basis; having fun, going sight seeing, doing family events and fishing. Seeing other families at fairs and competing in mother/son events whenever one popped up, and being tha family friendly town that Ponyville was, that was quite often.

Even the situation with Sweetie Belle had lessened somewhat. She was now making a point to avoid him, but at least she wasn't sending all her friends after him with a price on his head so that was a plus. All in all, he silently agreed that they simply not talk to each other for a while until things cooled off and stopped being weird after all, thanks to Scootaloo's affirmation, Sweetie had sort of kinda asked him out and he'd essentially shot her down in flames. It was an awkward time, but in the end it would only be a passing thing. Soon they'd be back to being best friends... or at least he hoped... he reaaalllyyy hoped... a slight egging in his stomach dared to ask 'what if' but he quickly squashed it refusing to allow any negative emotions in light of his new marefriend online.

Oh... imagine Sweetie's reaction if she found out.. ya... best to just not mention it...

At home, Milano was watching TV on her day off, it would be a couple hours before her virtual lover was online which lead her to suspect that he either worked merciful hours that let him off at around 3:00 or maybe he really was some thirty year old guy that lived with his mom. Perish the thought!

But joking aside, at least whatever he did for a living was consistent; Milano was stuck with hours that shifted erratically and unpredictably. Oh well... it was better than nothing she surmised.

Milano suddenly had a strange thought... she got up, walked into her son's room and simply stood there...

That powerful musk that was Button filled her nose; the odorous mix of sweat, mane oil, B.O. and masturbation. It was overpowering at first but... after a while it wasn't so bad... the smell was almost nostalgic in a way; it reminded her of Button's younger days when she'd come in to read him a bedtime story... days filled with laughter, combustible toys, milk shake brain freezes, home cooked meals and a happy complete family...

It was nice... she thought such a reminder of what she now lacked would be painful but... it was just... nice... inhaling that scent calmed and relaxed her... she sighed contently and crawled up onto Button's bed and buried her face in his pillow where the scent was strongest...

Taking a big whif, she relaxed against his covers; remembering a simpler time...

Wat... strongest source of the scent.. wouldn't that mean?... she smelled it again... yep, definitely the strongest source... but the male musk of the room also included the scent of long since dried old... ejaculate...

Milano blinked a few times before pulling her face slowly away from the pillow...

..

...

Pulling the pillow case off she saw the dried crusty spots of... oh... dear Celestia...

Milano gawked, "what?! What does he wrap his pillow around his junk and masturbate with it?! EW! BAD MENTAL IMAGE!" Milano rolled back and forth on the bed until she fell off "BWAH?! Oof!" Getting back up, she dusted herself off and looked back at the pillow... She knew she shouldn't but...

...

...

Perhaps it was that strange twisted love she had with Ókami... but... she...

She... well... maybe... OK maybe she didn't have to think about... 'that' or even think about her son necessarily... just... just think about Ókami ya... that's it... she just...

That connection... she wanted it to be stronger... she just needed a large whiff... something to satiate herself as she thought about him...

A physical connection... to think of Ókami in the same way she thought of her son with that motherly connection... and with Button being her son well; his scent would do perfectly... but it's not like she wanted to actually think of Button that way, that'd be wrong... ya.. .wrong... but just his scent... just as a surrogate for Ókami's... ya... there's nothing wrong with that right? It's not like she's actually thinking about her son... just using the scent... that's all...

Milano was so wrapt up in her musings that she didn't even hear her son come in the door having got off school with the early release. He made his way around the house checking if his mom was home; of course he'd forget to check his own room after all, why would she be in there of all places?

Thinking that the coast was clear, Button headed into his mom's room and dug under her bed for that pair of lacy sea green panties that she kept hidden for special nights with 'mr. happy' in her drawer. Why his mom liked to wear panties when she used a dildo, Button had no idea. But he was glad for the coincidence as it served a perverted purpose perfectly. He just needed a physical piece of his mom... a strong reminder of her to set up that maternal link. Of course he wasn't actually thinking of his mother at all; that'd be sick... he was thinking of Amaterasu, just using this piece of his mom for the surrogate maternal link that's all... not creepy in the least...

Milano pressed her face into her son's cum stained pillow and inhaled deeply as she massaged herself between her withers.

Meanwhile, Button strapped his mother's panties around his muzzle and drank in the scent of her marehood while he stroked himself.

Each one of them imagining their virtual partner online in a role play sex seen of mother and son.

The simple irony was enough to cause a seizure.

A knock at the door startled both mother and son out of their ministrations; they both charged out of each other's rooms and slammed into each other.

"OOF!" "OW!"

The both rubbed their heads, "unh... M-mom?" "Button?"

They both stared at one another, "why... were... were you in my room Button?"

"... ... ... ... .no.. ... ... ... were you in mine?" "... ... ... ... no.. ... ... ..."

The knock sounded again. They both hopped in surprise before dragging themselves out of their cowering stupor to answer it.

"Pizza delivery."

XXXXX

Ókami and Amaterasu met up once again in their usual spot; Milano hopped into her coltfriend's arms and kissed him deeply before snuggling into his mane.

"Mmm, I missed you." Button sighed as his face pressed into her breasts from this angle.

Milano giggled, "I missed you too."

The snuggled and set about their usual joined handed walk along the lake bed, "so, what adventures await us today my nobel knight?" Milano asked in a posh voice.

"Well m'lady, there happens to be this most unruly group of Dracolisks terrorizing the southern farms down yonder." Button replied in an equally posh voice.

"Shall we go smite them?"

"Let's."

The two enjoyed a nice bout of monster slaying when Ókami got a PM, he opened his log up to see that it was Sweetie of all ponies. Hey... how are you?

Button frowned.

"Something wrong?" Milano asked.

Button shrugged, "possibly..." he replied to his marefriend. Just then, a pebble walloped Button's head, "YIPES!" Button turned around with a scowl to spot Sweetie Belle tossing another pebble into the air and catching it. "yo..." she said simply.

Button blinked, 'oh... baaaaad feeling...' he thought melancholy to himself.

"Relax, I'm not here to murder you." Sweetie sighed as she approached the pair.

"That'd be a nice change of pace actually." Button couldn't help but joke. Sweetie smiled at that.

"Who's this?" Milano asked with not a hint of amusement in her voice.

Sweetie turned to her as if seeing her for the first time, "oh... you..." she said with equal disdain. Her eyes ran up and down Amaterasu as if sizing her up.

Button, proffering to avoid a PK(player Killer) incident, stepped in; "So! I guess it's time you two met, uh, Amy, this is Yama Tsukuyomi; Tsuki, this is Amaterasu."

The two mares crossed their arms ans stared at one another with unimpressed looks.

"hm."

"hmm."

Button could feel sweat forming on his neck, "Ooookaaaaayyyy... SO! How have you been?"

Sweetie shook her head as if from a trance, "Oh Uh... fine... I just... wanted to say sorry for being such a bitch the past couple weeks... You really didn't deserve to go through all that..."

Button chewed on his lip, "eh, water under the bridge; I can't bring myself to hate you for TOO long." he said with his signature cocky smile.

Sweetie rolled her eyes and shook her head, "still an ass... well, anyway; I really wanted to put it behind us so..."

Button shook his head, "it's OK, I forgive you."

Sweetie smiled, "so... friends?" she held her hand up.

Button shook it, "best friends."

"Welp, I have to get going, I gotta help sis out with some stuff at the shop so... see you later."

Button waved her off as she logged out.

Button turned to see a frowning Amaterasu, "so who was that?" she asked, not angrily, but not happily either.

Button rubbed the back of his neck, "I guess... you could call her an Ex... though we never actually dated... there was a series of circumstances and I found out that she had a crush on me... some poor choices, mean words, and a couple fights later we were no longer on speaking terms... and some of my friends who were also her friends didn't want to so much as see my face..."

Milano's expression softened, "sorry..."

Button shrugged, "welp, as you saw, it's no longer an issue. Truth be told I'm glad it's finally over, I was getting pretty sick of the dirty glances her friends were shooting me whenever we crossed paths."

Milano chuckled, "well, like you said, no longer an issue."

"Indeed, so! Um... so Amy... I uh..." Button stumbled over his words, "I... was sort of wondering..."

Milano ran her hoof in a series of circles signaling for him to continue, "go on."

"Well, the thing is... I was wondering... do you think we could meet in real life?" Button finally managed.

Milano blinked, "I... uh..." "Oh, i-if you don't want to that's cool too..." "n-no, no I just... wasn't expecting that..." Milano laughed out, "I uh... um... well... where do you live?"

"Ponyville." Button responded.

Milano's eyes widened, "seriously?! So do I!"

Button's jaw dropped, "REALLY?!"

Milano shook her head vigorously, "Yes!"

"W-well.. dd-do you wanna meet?!" "Yes!"

"G-great! Whew! Um OK... how about... Sugar Cube Corner?"

Milano nodded.

"OK, so... um... say... tomorrow at 5? We'll have dinner there; I'll meet you in booth no.1"

Milano's smile brightened, "and how will I know which lucky stallion to look for?"

Button chuckled, "hmm... I'll have a white Lilly in my mane."

Milano chuckled, "won't that draw some unwanted attention?"

"They can laugh all they want, I could care less," he grasped Milano's hands in his own, "I'm meeting the mare of my dreams."

Milano could only smile.

XXXXX

Four PM rolled around the next day, Milano was hogging the bathroom as she sleeked her mane with that wonderful Shea butter shampoo that Button loved to smell; it was the one upside of his mom going on a date, she's smell like that all day; the shampoo was a -no touch!- product that Milano used to only reserve for her anniversary but now only used for her dates.

Button himself was impatiently waiting in front of the bathroom; he himself had a date to catch for once, "come on mom! I'm gonna be late!"

"Just give me five minutes!" "That translates in mom-date-night speech to a half hour!"

"Button would you be patient?!"

"Well, for once I got a date too!"

The bickering continued as the clock wore on. At last Milano exited the bathroom smelling of that angelic scent; despite the clock ticking, Button took the time to inhale that scent before rushing into the bathroom and hopping into the shower, he most definitely did not want to smell like he'd just come from martial arts class (which he had) on his first date in... what... 3 years?

Milano wanted to be happy and even supportive of her son's good fortune but for once she knew her date wouldn't be disappointing, or rather; she prayed he wouldn't be.

Oh she prayed to Celestia that he wouldn't be a fat old loser like so many others... there was really no way of knowing with an online pony, especially through Pony Blade as you don't even get a 'maybe accurate' picture! Oh dear, maybe this was a bad idea?

Milano shook her head furiously, NO! Today she was going to march on down to Sugar Cube Corner have a pleasant date for once with a stallion who actually knew how to treat her right!

Milano put her make up kit into her saddle bag just in case. Although with 'just in case' scenarios shouldn't she technically be taking a condom? That thought only caused her to laugh; Milano was always incredibly fertile, it came with her cutie mark; and to avoid a 'multiply like rabbits' scenario, she'd had her tubes tied after giving birth to Button. It seems that fate could only be fought for so long and even with a mixture of condoms, birth control, and planning sex with her monthly cycles for the minimum chance of conception; she still had another bun in her oven. A few months after Button was bored, she'd had the surgery; it was probably one of the few drastic choices in her life that she didn't regret. With her tubes tied came the distinct lack of a heat cycle, or rather, when her heat hit her it did so at only a fraction of what it used to be.

That is to say, when it hit her, she became an sex driven nymphomaniac who could wear out the best of stallion studs. And that was what she was like with her tubes tied! Oh, back before the operation, when she hit her heat cycle... hang on to your husbands and hide your sons!

But her libido was yet another byproduct of her cutie mark and special talent; she was a natural mother; the day she got her cutie mark... long story indeed; what sane mare takes on foalsitting 8 foals at once?! And half of them grabby toddlers who liked to yank hair out?! Yet when the parents came to pick them up, they were all happy and well behaved playing educational games together and the house was in pristine condition.

Motherhood was her special talent plain and simple, and while that could be translated to nursing, as well as breast milk production though not on the level of a certain mare from Trottingham, it was motherhood specifically in which she entered her comfort zone. Divorcing her husband and having her firstborn son walk out of the house cursing her name had been a major blow to her pride and self image; but raising Button by herself combined with her job as a nurse for the sick foals at the hospital and slowly rebuilt her self esteem.

And now, with this new coltfriend and their strange relationship plus the renewed loving connection with Button, her vigor, confidence, and self worth were palpable.

So when she finally arrived at SCC and sat at booth No.1 so graciously reserved by the as of yet faceless stallion, she sat with a content patience as she waited for him...

...

...

...

...

...

...

And gradually that patience turned to annoyance, "where is he?" she grumbled as she peered looked up at the clock, a quarter past 5...

Did he stand her up?

Just then, the doors chimed and Button rushed in panting with a white lilly pinned in his mane; Pinkie Pie at the register opened her mouth to greet him but immediately suffered a fit of giggles at the sight.

Button grumbled, "ya, haw haw..." he ignored her as he rounded the corner to booth No.1

"Sorry, I'm late, room mate was hogging the ba-..." Button froze... completely...

Milano also was at a loss for words, she gazed down almost in disbelief at the colt, "... Button?"

"Mom?... wh-...why are you sitting in that reserved booth?"

"... wh-why do you have a flower in your mane?"

**** CLIFFHANGER!***

A/N: Holy fuck... it's like... almost 3:30 in the morning... or it was when I wrote this but I'm about to pass out so this'll probably be posted tomorrow... or today since it's past midnight... whatever... welp, I'm going into a minor coma now, SEE YA!

Review if you liked!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


	3. Of Moms and Video Games (fin)

Chapter Three, Of Moms and Video Games (fin)

Button and Milano both blinked in disbelief as well as shock.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The two stood frozen like that for several minutes as the gears moved in their heads.

"No..." Milano whispered shakily as she covered her mouth.

"M-...Mom..." Button breathed.

Milano shook her head, "no... no no no no no no no..." and buried her face in her hooves, "this isn't happening..."

"Buh... I... wuh..." Button stumbled out.

Milano shook her head slowly as repeated a mantra of 'this isn't happening...'

Button just stood there, staring out at nothing; no words could really form in his mouth; no actions could take full consideration by his mind. He felt numb, just standing their in a stupor.

Minutes passed as they both sat paralyzed, eventually they attracted the attention of the other customers, "hey are you two OK?" one of them asked.

The two looked towards Pinkie Pie with furious blushes on their faces as they remembered where they were. "Uh d-y-ah, no..." Button stammered. Milano felt like spontaneously dying on the spot.

Button wanted to withdraw back into that silent shell of his but Pinkie's immediate presence demanded his focused and cognizant attention. Thinking on the fly, Button meekly offered, "I uh... just got to go... do... stuff... ya..."

"Huh?" Pinkie said with a confused expression.

Button shook his head, "nothing..." and with that, he left with his head hanging low and not mentioning another word.

XXXXX

MIilano didn't know how long she sat there, perhaps minutes, she liked to think it was hours. But, however long a time it was, she eventually picked herself up and made her way h-no...no, not home... anywhere but there...

Milano wondered aimlessly around Ponyville; she just... needed something to do... something to distract her for a bit... ya...

Although, eventually even some rogue shopping and visiting of co-workers couldn't stave off the inevitable... She made her way back to her fourplex... it seemed so uninviting; the stone looked cold and cracked upon the steps and the paint looked dull and chipped.

Milano let out a shaky breath. There was no getting around this and it most certainly needed to be addressed. So, with a gulp; she marched on in through the front door to find the living room empty.

Button, lying in his bed like he had been for the past two hours looked blindly at the wall he was facing on his side. He idly heard the door open and his heart gave him a painful burst of panicked beats. And then came the dreaded moment, his mom walked into the room and soon he could hear her hoofsteps stop beside his bed. He shook and quivered. Almost like an injured animal.

"Button." Milano said in a neutral tone causing another pulse of painful panic and high blood pressure to soar through Button's veins.

An uncomfortable silence passed between the two and Button still refused to turn and face his mom. "Button honey..." Milano tried again as she reached a hoof out. Button flinched when it touched him.

"Button..." Milano's voice was now a pleading one.

Button felt tears welling up in his eyes and stinging at his pride. Without warning he whipped around and latched his forelegs around Milano's neck pulling her into a crushing embrace as he buried his face in her chest.

Milano could both feel and hear Button sobbing and wrapped her own limbs around him in comfort as well.

Button let out a stream of tears and shaky sobs; Milano soon felt her own eyes filling with salty water and let them flow freely.

"M-mom..." Button whispered quietly.

"Y-yes?"

"..." Button didn't speak, he acted, he pulled away and locked his lips with Milano's causing her eyes to shoot wide in shock.

Milano shoved him away and onto his back. "BUTTON!" She shrieked.

Button lay limply on his side as Milano stared at him in shock. She quivered for a few moments while covering her mouth with a hoof. Milano back peddled a few steps before shaking her head and aiming for the door. Before she could reach it however, Button blocked her path and pushed her into his dresser, locking lips with hers yet again, albeit much more aggressively.

Milano's hooves shot up to push him away but he knocked them aside and began to stand up on two hooves forcing Milano to stand with him until their bellies were touching and her back was pressed against the wood.

Button wrapped one forehoof around the back of his mom's head and the other slipped behind the small of her back and arched her back more as he pressed the kiss deeper; his tongue shot out into her mouth and swirled around in a manner that instantly threw Milano into a sate of nostalgia as she was faced with the memory of Ókami caressing her in the night of the Virtual World.

They were the exact same movements, the same sensations that drove her wild. All of her previous resolve and stern parental control melted away as her body turned to jelly in her son's ministrations.

Milano's face flushed with her eyes closed and the cutest of moans made its presence known in her throat. Button at last pulled away, they both took pause for breath with their noses clogged from snot due to their crying; both previous and persistently current.

Milano opened her eyes to see her son and instantly remembered her earlier prepared argument; but the words died in her mouth as she tried to speak them, only letting out a "Button..."

"I love you." Button stated with frightening conviction, "I love you in EVERY conceivable way. And I don't care what you say, I'm going to keep loving you like that no matter what."

Milano chocked on a sob, "B-Button... this... this can't... this isn't right..."

Button glared, "says who?! It's nopony else's business what goes on in this house!"

At her son's foalish outburst, Milano felt a rising return of her parental dominance, "Button, no. It's wrong... it's sick."

"No it isn't!" Button shot back, "just cause stupid laws or religion says it's wrong doesn't mean it is. Those are all just values written by somepony who died thousands of years ago; why shouldn't you be happy because of them?"

Milano shook her head, "No. It's not going to happen and that's the end of it do you hear me?"

Button forcefully kissed her again; Milano struggled and shoved his face away with her own, "BUTTON STOP IT! I SAID NO!"

"I don't care." Button replied coldly causing Milano to blink. "Stop throwing away everything good that comes your way."

"E-excuse me?!" Milano gawked, how DARE her son talk to her like that?!

"You KNOW Damn it! You KNOW I can make you happy. You KNOW damn well you want this just as much as me and don't even dare insult me by lying about it." Button said sternly.

Milano was at a loss for words, she just stared in open mouthed shock. "B-button..."

"I love you so much..." Button said with a shaky voice, "and I know you love me too. And I know we love each other in so many different ways." He pressed his body against her causing her to tense, "everything we felt in there was real mom, just as real as this is right her, and right now." Button stated. He knew full well that everything he said at this moment was crucial and would make or break this possible relationship. And so he tread firmly but carefully.

Button gently brought up a hoof to caress his mother's cheek; "all the kisses we shared, and walks down by the lake bed; the adventures and cuddles under the moon-" "stop it..." "-that was all real." "STOP IT!"

Milano began sniffling, "Please... just stop..."

Button's belly filled with dread, "I can't... I'm not going to stop and I never will... not after all this... I love you and want to..." Button searched for the word, "physically express it." ya, that sounded like the right word.

Milano shot angry eyes up at him as she finally regained her internal dominance, "oh, so you just wanna fuck mommy is that it?!"

Button backed up at that, recoiling slightly with a series of blinks, "I-uh-n-no! That's not what I-"

"SAVE IT!" Milano screamed in his face, she had finally regained dominance and she was NOT going to give it up again. "I don't need to listen to your sick manipulation PERVERT!"

Button back peddled until he hit the wall and Milano took the opening to storm out of his room.

Button sat blinking repeatedly at the dresser as the door stood ajar, he barely registered his mother slamming her bedroom door shut.

Button sat for several minutes replaying that recent series of events in his head. It surprised him how much of a lack there was of depression or resentment. Perhaps after three weeks of his mom yelling at him, hitting him, and making jokes about him being a pervert online in all their adventures had simply caused him to build up a tolerance to it.

With that sudden epiphany, she stormed out of his own room and busted into hers. Milano lay on her bed curled up into a ball and sobbing like a foal. Button paused at the bizarre sight; he'd never witness his mother in this state; well, he had on occasion but not with the added detail of him being the source of her suffering. With a cringe he slowly made his way to the bed and clambered onto it.

"Hey mom?..."

Milano paused her sobbing to say, "g-go away..."

Button looked around the room in awkward silence before scooting close to her, "you know... I think I've come to realize something..."

Milano's sobs quieted down to a few sniffles.

Button continued in a gentle tone, "I think that... time in the other world has changed us both in a lot of ways; and it's scary, it really is... I'm scared too; but change isn't something you have to run away from and coming from me that's saying something..." Button sighed, "I think... I think that as Ókami and Amaterasu we both learned a lot about ourselves and... I think we've come to know a lot about each other... a lot that we didn't want the other to know about and that can cause a certain amount of animosity. And that's natural! It's natural but, it doesn't have to be all there is..." He brought his knees up to his chest and clasped his forehooves around them.

Milano finally brought her head up and let out a shuddering breath, "Button..."

"I know." Button held up a hoof, "I know, immoral, illegal, sinful and a lot more..." he continued in the same comforting tone, "but so are a lot of other things that we both do on a daily basis; and we know what those things are. But we just learn not to beat ourselves up about them because they make us happy."

Milano was silent, "... ... ... drugs can make you happy, does that mean you should do them too?"

Button smiled coyly, "Drugs hurt ponies; love makes them better."

Milano scoffed, "oh please..."

"Come on, I know you haven't gotten so old and cranky that you've lost your faith in that." Button said as he ran a hoof through her mane.

Milano sighed, "It CAN hurt us honey... both of us... I could go to jail and you could end up... I don't even want to think about it!" she cried dismally.

Button chuckled, "it's not like we ever have anypony over, who would find out? And it's not like we really need to hide it, moms and their foals do stuff that couples do all the time."

"Button." Milano said with that 'mom sigh', you know the one; the one that says 'mom logic dictates, fuck you and whatever you're saying' the ones that moms use when you're trying to tell them about a cool game or anime that goes way over their heads and they simply shake their head with a roll of their eyes and proceed to ignore you. It was the one that held no opposing argument. Or it wouldn't have had it been used strictly on a son. But Button didn't JUST want to be her son anymore.

"Ohhhh no, you're not brushing the issue off that easily." Button said with that signature cocky smile of his.

Milano glanced up and caught that smug smile... the one she'd seen on Ókami's face so many times before...

Milano shook her head furiously to stave off the urge to wipe that smirk off his face with a kiss as she usually did. In the end, she turned her head away with a harumph. Silence permeated the room once more.

Button lay down next to her and snuggled up to his mommy.

After some minutes, Milano sighed, "can you please just drop it?"

"Not a chance." Button replied leaking his smile into his voice.

Milano groaned and planted her face in her covers; "Baka..."

Button managed a genuine laugh at that.

It was strange... the intense awkwardness, fear, and aggression was just... gone...

"So what do you say mom? Honestly?" Button asked with a smile as he nuzzled Milano.

Milano looked away for a few moments... "..." then she turned back to him, "give me some time to think about it?"

Button nodded.

Milano sighed in relief at that.

XXXXX

Button had fallen asleep in bed next to Milano like that. The mare herself stayed up running everything through her mind... could she really just... go through with this?

Milano chewed on her lip; weighing the possible consequences... let's be honest here; situations like this always end in tragedy. Thinking more about that further assured her previous decision that this was bad and she needed up put a firm stop to it.

But FUCK IN A! She had two minds damn it! Before there was just Milano, just a single mom living a mediocre life; but then there was Amaterasu, strong, powerful, confident, and gets whatever she wants when she wants. And... and... even though it made her feel like a bad little pony... she wanted Button. She wanted to hold him close and kiss him and do so many dirty things to him; and she wanted him to call her mommy the hole time.

A small bit of panic rose up in her belly in the form of jolting spikes as she realized how wet that idea was making her. "Gods, what is wrong with meeeee?!" Milano rubbed her face with her hooves.

What to do...

Well... maybe a bit of sleep would help her sort her thoughts out.

Of course, sleep was hard to achieve with her teenage son's sleeping body saddled up next to her with his natural heat and scent flooding onto her own. Milano personally proffered the smell of him hot and sweaty, just coming back from martial arts practice or from running errands around Ponyville, that distinct smell coalescing with his natural musk upon his pillow.

That scent that she'd masturbated to so many times... did that make her a bad pony already? She was already using her son's jizz stained pillow as a fantasy tool for pleasure, wasn't this just the next phase? But... no... she was just using that as a substitute for Ókami... who turned out to also be her son.

"Gah!" Milano exclaimed as she frazzled her mane, this was so confusing! Not to mention horribly frustrating.

Turning over, she looked down at her son, snoozing peacefully, with an occasional loud snore.

Milano felt maternal instincts override her and she cooed as she nuzzled him. This bond of maternal love... it felt so warm and nice... would taking their relationship to something beyond this stain it some how? Or would it only enhance it?

No... it could never stain it... no matter what happens they'd always have that special connection. As a family they'd suffered to many catastrophes to stop loving each other as mother and son here and now. And even if... even if she took it beyond that into something wrong and perverse... even then, she'd always be her little Button.

Milano sighed in defeat, she nuzzled her son repeatedly until he groggily awoke, "hey honey..."

As Button cutely rubbed his eye, Milano dove in and kissed him.

Button froze in shock; his mom's tongue slipped into his mouth and he felt his stallionhood twitch.

Milano smiled down at him, "I've thought about it."

And the awkwardness that Button thought would be there gradually dissipated as they began kissing. Soon kisses became caresses, caresses became intimate touching and intimate touching became Button on his back with his mom smiling leschiveously at him.

Button felt his mother's mouth close around the tip of his member as her tongue danced around the flaring head; a sensation that while not alien, was definitely new. Milano took it upon herself to slowly and gradually fellate her son while keeping her eyes locked on his the entire time.

How to explain the sensation? The soft tongue rubbing against his length with the taste buds so precariously massaging the skin? The heat from her mouth baking his cock like an oven of love? Or that irresistibly sexy sight of his mom looking up at him as she sucked him off?

It was too much too fast and Button hit his peak much sooner than he wanted to; his semen busted into Milano's mouth and the mare was taken off guard by the flavor. Taste was a hard thing to explain with new flavors like this, satly? No, Sour? No, tart? No, there just didn't seem to be a word to settle on... all in all, it was a new flavor onto itself.

Within moments they reversed position and now Button was greedily lapping at his mother's marehood. A strong tart flavor washed through his mouth but he paid it no mind as he dug in with ferocity.

Milano cooed and wrapped her hind legs around her son's head

Minutes passed as Milano climaxed again and again into her son's face. Ah but then came the truly fun part; Milano fliped around to her stomach as her son clambered up on top of her back; his member already standing at attention at this prospect of mounting his mom.

Button's cock slipped into his mom's burning cunt and the sheer mental comprehension of that fact nearly cost his remaining stamina as he felt his second orgasm ready to betray him in an instant. 'I'm fucking my mom...' Button thought as he began breathing huskily.

For her part, Milano cooed adorably as she felt her son penetrate her. Once he'd bottomed out inside her she couldn't help but say "Welcome home."

Button's hind legs shook, his cock was buried in his mom's vagina... his cock was buried in his mom's vagina... that knowledge caused him to go into a frenzy of lust as he began pounding his mom's snatch without mercy; the dirty kinkiness of the situation consuming him.

Milano squeaked and mewled as her son thrust into her with all the passion of a dog in heat; his tongue lolled out onto her back and his forelegs wrapped tightly around her torso as he bucked his waist into her plot.

There was an underlying comfort of maternal bonding mixed in somewhere in the forbidden carnal desire and they both felt it, Button simply felt, just felt.. let his entire body feel his mother's. The sweat on the back of her coat, the heat of both her body and the oven of her vagina suckling on his cock, yearning for him to bury it ever deeper into her snatch and be further massaged by her heavinly folds. The soft comfort of Milano's thick strong thighs and marshmallowy body. There was almost a feeling of infantile comfort that washed over Button.

That comforting feeling of being so close to his mother that he was literally snuggling her; but also the primal satisfaction of burying his cock inside of a mare that he held nothing but love for; and the kinky position provided only further comfort; his body lying so comfortably on her back as he thrust into her with only the most basic of pelvic thrusts.

The smell of his mom's special shampoo flooded his nose while he buried his snout into her mane. The sounds of his mom's heavy breathing only pushed button further as his member slipped in and out of her; those goddess folds of her cervical walls milking him like the loving mother Milano was, embracing the very cock they'd sired; almost proud of how well he'd developed.

Button was hardly conscious at this point, all intelligent brain function had ceased by now, only the primal need to keep thrusting and thrusting pushed him on as he pounded his mother's vagina; that mixed with the foalish comfort of hugging momy sent him to a state of nirvana; somewhere between orgasmic ecstasy and the calm bliss of being caressed and coddled by his mother's embrace.

Weather that embrace be by hugging or her vagina's greedy ministrations as they pulsed around his phallus and sucked it in with a ravenous hunger, demanding that he hilt himself inside her and never ever leave again. Button was more than happy to oblige as he gurgled an unintelligent giggle of drunk euphoria.

But all things needed to come to an end and soon Button's thrusting picked up rapidly in speed, "gaagaghuhugh" he mumbled out.

"Oh Button!" Milano cooed, she'd lost count of how many orgasms she'd experienced up to this point and now the only thing running through her mind was her son busting his load inside the very womb that had nurtured and raised him.

"OH! Fuck mommy Button! Fuck mommy!" Milano exclaimed as drool cascaded down her lips

"UUNNNNGGGHHH MOOOOM!" Button groaned as his orgasm washed over him like a tsunami and flooded his mother's gates.

Both ponies moaned while Button continued to gently rock against her, multiple spurts shot out in jet streams of creamy white love into Milano's vagina. Each shot of ejaculate was felt by Button shooting through his length and into Milano filling her up and fulfilling the instinctual desire to be inflated with male cum.

At last, Button fell against his mother's back panting over and over while Milano sighed in content bliss.

Minutes passed as the two sat like that; happily dazed in their orgasmic transcendence into cloud nine.

When Button finally gained the ability to speak he said, "I love you mommy..." almost in a gentle foalish voice.

Milano giggled, "I love you too Button."

At some point Button slipped out of his mother's snatch and the two cuddled as they drifted off to sleep.

XXXXX

Milano and Button walked into the Arcade. Perhaps it wasn't the most romantic area, but it was now common ground.

The two made their way into the game room and settled around one particular machine, Immortal Combat; a game that they both knew well.

What Button didn't know however, was just how well his mother was acquainted with this game, and with this particular arcade. Most of the other young colts around the area didn't recognize her, but there was one stallion who did...

As they walked past the entrance, an old stallion, owner of the arcade for more than 40 years looked up... when he did, he nearly had a heart attack, "no... no... she... she's back..."

Button smiled cockily as he started up the game with his mom.

Five minutes later...

"Fatality! Flawless victory!"

Button stood with his mouth hanging open in disbelief as his mom's character held his own character's spinal cord in her hoof.

'Did... did my mom just kick my ass in a video game?'

Button gawked as he looked up at his mom who wore a demonic smile.

"It is you..." A voice sounded from behind them, the two ponies turned to see the arcade owner.

"I thought you'd long since retired from the battlefield..." the old coot spoke sagely.

Button cocked a brow, "uh... am I missing something here?"

Milano blushed slightly, "hmm... well... you had to get your video game addiction from somewhere..."

What followed was the announcement of Milano's secret identity as the Shinigami of the arcade and a long series of challenges from all the colts and fillies present.

Button sat flabbergastered as his mom cut each and every one of them down in Immortal Combat.

Soon the pair left the arcade with Milano's head held high and Button questioning everything he thought he knew about the world.

Later the two returned home and proceeded to play their own game of Immortal Combat on Milano's old game system.

Within ten minutes Button was having a seizure of anger and resorted to using cheat codes to play as hidden overpowered characters... and he still lost...

Having yet another fit of rage quitting coming on, he inevitably resorted to the one thing he swore he'd never do... he hunkered down in the corner of the screen, pressed and held down, and button mashed the low kick button.

"STAHLP BOTAN MOSHEENG!" His mom screamed in his ear as he continued to ever so slightly injure her heath bar.

Milano inevitably resorted to jumping in front of Button to obstruct his view to which Button countered by clambering over her and soon an idiotic battle ensued.

Eventually Button got his first victory of the day.

"Yaah! I'm a ninja!" he cried out victoriously.

"NO!" Milano actually tossed her controller at her son's head, "YOU ARE NOT A NINJA! I'm over here doing flips and 8 hit combos!" she jutted her hoof in his face, "YOU KICKED ME IN THE SHIN 47 TIMES! YOU ARE NOT A NINJA!"

Eventually, the pent up aggression was resolved with Milano riding her son cowfilly style until he filled her up with his hot milky white love and the two ordered pizza before cuddling on the couch and watching old movies.

Maybe it wasn't the ideal date but... for them, it was a perfect day.

(Fin)


End file.
